The Girl Who Lived: Book One
by animekidd675
Summary: What if Harry Potter was a girl? An overused plot with a twist; what if she fell in love with our favorite Gryffindor Know-It-All? Follow our new female Potter through the years as she learns what life is all about. Contains femslash.
1. Prologue

The Girl Who Lived: Book One

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my OC, Jayden Potter. J.K. Rowling is the legitimate owner of Harry Potter and the Harry Potter universe. I'm just stealing her characters and twisting them to fit my warped mind.

Warning: This story contains femslash/ yuri/ girl/girl pairings! If this is not your thing, then I'm not sure why you're reading this in the first place.

A.N.: After about two years hiatus, I am back! With femslash as well! I've been writing a lot in my spare time and I figured that I might as well post something. If any of you have read my previous story, Sakura's Demon, that has been discontinued. An author's note will be posted soon informing everyone of this. Sadly enough, I feel no inspiration whatsoever anymore for it. It was fun while it lasted, but it wasn't going in the direction I wanted it to. So I'm trying again!

One thing I've never really seen on is a Hermione/OFC story. Sure, there are a few, but they are far and in between. Even more rare is the Fem!Harry/Hermione stories. I feel it's time to fix this problem, so without further ado, may I present to you…

The Girl Who Lived: Book One

* * *

There's no such thing as magic.

Or at least, that's what she had been told ever since she could remember. There's no such thing as magic, although at times, that seemed very hard to believe. Weird things always happened around her, strange things that no one could explain, like the time her aunt had tried to force her into one of Dudley's old, large, baggy hand-me-downs. The harder her aunt had tried to pull it over her head, the smaller it had become, until it might've fit a doll, but definitely not her. Luckily, her aunt had thought it must have shrunk in the wash, so she hadn't been punished.

There was also the time she had found herself on top of the school roof when she had been running away from Dudley and his gang. They had wanted to beat her up again and she had been running for her life, wishing that she could be somewhere that they couldn't reach her. And then she had been.

Jayden Potter was her name, and despite what her aunt and uncle had said, she believed in magic.

* * *

I suggest that you all go out and read **Holly Evans and the Spiral Path **by **wordhammer.** It is one of the best Hermione/OFC stories that I have had the pleasure of reading.


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: Wow, two reviews already and I only put the story out a few hours ago. This made my day. I suppose I should clear this up; my story will rely on the books quite a bit, if only to make the story flow better. However, this will not be straight from the book, as I'm sure you'll be able to tell quite quickly. Certain lines will be used, and a few descriptions to help me… well, describe things.

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. Anyhow, without further ado, may I present to you the first chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_There's no such thing as magic._

_Or at least, that's what she had been told ever since she could remember. There's no such thing as magic, although at times, that seemed very hard to believe. Weird things always happened around her, strange things that no one could explain, like the time her aunt had tried to force her into one of Dudley's old, large, baggy hand-me-downs. The harder her aunt had tried to pull it over her head, the smaller it had become, until it might've fit a doll, but definitely not her. Luckily, her aunt had thought it must have shrunk in the wash, so she hadn't been punished._

_There was also the time she had found herself on top of the school roof when she had been running away from Dudley and his gang. They had wanted to beat her up again and she had been running for her life, wishing that she could be somewhere that they couldn't reach her. And then she had been._

_Jayden Potter was her name, and despite what her aunt and uncle had said, she believed in magic. _

Jayden sighed softly under her breath as she stared out of the window of the car. The past few days had been hectic, and it had all started with a letter addressed to her. Her Uncle Vernon had not been pleased at all and had literally torn her letter to shreds, not allowing her to read a single sentence. Then more letters had appeared, and more, and more, until finally they had packed up and driven to a tiny run-down shack in the middle of the ocean.

It was there that she had met a man, a giant, named Hagrid, and had been informed of her heritage, and of Hogwarts: The School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had wished her a happy birthday, given her a cake, and had whisked her away to get her school supplies before dropping her back off with the Dursleys. And now it was time. She was going to Hogwarts.

She sighed again. It was hard to believe that she was really a witch. Extremely hard to believe. There had never been anything about her that had stood out; she was the kind of girl that blended in with the background, the shy quiet type. She had never had any friends, or a real family. But maybe, just maybe that would all change once she reached her new school…

"Hey, girl! Stop daydreaming and get out of the car!" her uncle yelled, reaching back to shake her forcefully. Jayden yelped in pain and shock, staring at her uncle in fear. She hadn't noticed that the car had stopped, she had been too preoccupied.

"S-sorry Uncle Vernon, I'll g-get going right away," she whispered, rubbing her aching arm where her uncle's meaty hand had gripped her. She was certain that there would be a bruise there in a few hours. "U-uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, do you know where P-Platform nine and three q-quarters is?" she asked quietly.

"There's no such thing!" Aunt Petunia snapped. "Now get out of the car, we need to get Duddikins to the hospital to get that horrid tail removed!"

"You heard her, freak, get out," Vernon grunted, raising his hand threateningly. Jayden's eyes widened and she scrambled out of the car, barely able to grab her trunk and owl's cage in time before the car screeched out of the parking lot, effectively abandoning her there, at King's Cross.

Walking around, Jayden stopped a passing guard. "Excuse me," she asked softly, "c-could you tell me where P-Platform nine and three quarters is?"

"No, sorry." The guard rolled his eyes. Why did he always get the loony ones?

"Oh…" Jayden murmured. "Well, sorry." She walked off, biting her lip worriedly. This was bad. It was nearly eleven and she had no idea where to go. Jayden glanced up at the large clock in the middle of the station. 10:45, she had to hurry!

At that moment a group of red-headed people passed by her, laughing at something.

"-fun at Hogwarts-"

Hogwarts? Jayden swiveled around. They were all carrying trunks like hers, and one of them even had an owl as well! She hurried after them, nearly crashing into a few pedestrians in her haste.

"W-wait!" she said loudly once she caught up. "E-excuse me, do you know h-how to-"

"How to get onto the platform?" the woman who was heading the group said.

"Y-yes." Jayden nodded. The plump woman smiled kindly, gesturing to the others; four boys with flaming red hair, and a girl that looked to be around her age, if not a year or two younger stood behind her.

"First time at Hogwarts, dear? You can follow us. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. It's best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous."

"What?" Jayden squeaked. Someone tugged at her sleeve, making her glance over. It was the red haired girl.

"Don't worry, it just looks like it's solid," the girl said, smiling brightly. "I'll go with you if you want; I've done it before when my brothers went to Hogwarts last year. My name's Ginny Weasley, what's yours?"

"J-Jayden Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ginny." Jayden stammered. She blinked as Ginny's eyes widened comically.

"You're Jayden Potter?" she whispered in awe. "You're famous! O-oh wow, it's an hon-"

"Don't, please, I'm nothing s-special, really," Jayden protested vehemently. "Can we go? I need to hurry." She really didn't like being famous for something she couldn't even remember.

Ginny immediately looked contrite. "Sorry, I guess you get that a lot, huh? Well, if you still want, can we be friends?"

"Friends?" Jayden smiled a tiny bit. She had never had a friend before; Dudley had always scared off anyone who had wanted to be her friend. "Y-yeah, I'd like that," she murmured.

"Great!" Ginny beamed. "I'll be starting school next year, my brothers are all in Hogwarts now that Ron is starting, but I guess we don't have time for that. Let's go!" the small redhead grabbed Jayden's hand, making her blush fiercely, and the two of them pushed Jayden's trolley through the barrier.

"Woah…" Jayden's eyes widened. A scarlet steam engine was parked next to the platform with a sign over it saying, 'Hogwarts Express'. She had made it!

"Jayden, you need to hurry!" Ginny exclaimed as she tugged her hand frantically. "It's nearly time to leave!" A whistle sounded, making Jayden jump.

"Umm… well, it was really n-nice meeting you, Ginny," Jayden muttered softly as Ginny hugged her. She gasped in surprise, stiffening up in the smaller girl's hold.

"Same here," Ginny said, smiling. She hugged Jayden again, not noticing the uncomfortable look on Jayden's face, before running over to her mum, who scolded her for taking off in the first place.

Jayden waved at them before starting to look around for an empty compartment. The first few carriages were already packed with students though, making her wonder if it was going to be possible to sit alone. Not that she disliked company, but she wasn't really a people person. She'd rather curl up alone with a good book and read than talk to people. Pressing on through the crowd, she finally came across an empty compartment near the end of the train. Jayden put Hedwig, her owl, inside first and then attempted to heave her trunk up the steps, but given her scrawny stature, was unable to. Great, she sighed. Now what?

"Need a hand?" It was one of Ginny's brothers, one of the twins.

"Yes, please," Jayden gasped.

"Hey, George! Come and help!"

Another redhead, identical to the first, popped out from nowhere and with their help, Jayden quickly got her trunk tucked away in the corner of the compartment.

"T-thank you very much," Jayden said softly.

The twins high fived each other. "No problem, we couldn't let such a pretty girl such as yourself go unhelped." One of them said. "I'm Fred-"

"No, I'm Fred!" the other butted in. "He's George! And what's your name?"

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, my name is J-Jayden, Jayden Potter." Jayden introduced herself.

"No way!" George said.

"Jayden Potter! You even have the scar?" Fred asked.

"Scar? Oh, yeah." Jayden pushed aside her messy bangs, revealing a lightning bolt shaped scar on her forehead.

"Woah!" the twins chorused. Jayden felt herself going red as they gaped at her. She wasn't that special, why were they staring at her? To her relief, Ginny's mum's voice called them out from the open door, and they gave her one last look before leaving the compartment.

Sighing to herself, Jayden curled up next to the window and watched as the Weasley kids gathered around their mum and sister, giving them hugs and talking to each other. Ginny looked up just then and, spotting her, waved. Jayden waved back timidly, smiling to herself. She liked having a friend, it was nice.

"Hey mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Uh oh… Jayden leant back quickly so that they couldn't see her watching them.

"You know that tiny black-haired girl who Ginny talked to? She's –"

"Jayden Potter!"

"Oh shut up Fred, she's my friend, not a circus act." Ginny said loudly. Jayden blushed, peeking out the window to smile at Ginny.

"Exactly, listen to your sister, you two. How do you know it's really her?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Asked her. Saw her scar, like lightning," George –or Fred- answered.

Ginny's mum tsked. "The poor dear – no wonder she was all alone. She was so polite when she asked how to get onto the platform too. Doesn't look nearly fed enough either."

"She's really nice, Mum," Ginny piped up. "She's sort of shy though."

"Never mind that, do you think she remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?" one of the twins asked. Their mother glared at them.

"You are not asking her, George! As though she needs reminding of that on her first day at school!"

The whistle sounded again, making them hurriedly exchange goodbyes before clambering onto the train.

"Bye!" Ginny cried at them. She beckoned for Jayden to lean out the window, which Jayden did.

"Bye Jayden, you'll owl me, right?" Ginny asked hopefully, clasping Jayden's hands.

Jayden smiled and nodded. "Yeah, b-bye Ginny."

The train began to move, and Ginny ran to hold onto Jayden's hand. As the train began to pick up speed, Ginny let go and ran after it, half laughing, half crying until it gathered too much speed, then she slowed down and waved until it was out of sight.

The compartment door slid open, prompting Jayden to look up. It was the youngest Weasley boy…. Ron, she thought, trying to remember his name.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing to the empty seat across from Jayden. "Everywhere else is full."

Jayden curled up further and shook her head. "N-no, just me in h-here."

The redheaded boy sat down, glancing at Jayden and back out the window. She sighed, guessing what he was looking at.

"So…" he said, looking at her again. Jayden squirmed uncomfortably; here it came.

"Are you really Jayden Potter?" he blurted out.

Jayden nodded, still not saying anything.

"And you really have the… you know…" he pointed at Jayden's forehead, eyeing it eagerly.

Jayden sighed and pulled back her fringe, showing him her lightning scar. The boy stared. And stared. And kept on staring. "Uhh… and you are?" she asked finally, letting her hair fall back into place, covering her scar.

"Ron Weasley. So that's where You-Know-Who-?"

"Y-yeah… but I don't remember a-anything," Jayden whispered. Nothing except for a flash of sickly green light and a scream, but he didn't need to know that.

"Nothing at all?" Ron asked, disappointment apparent in his voice.

Jayden shook her head, ignoring the boy as he kept staring at her. What was so fascinating about her anyway? She hated it, all the attention that she got for something she had done as a baby. It's not like she had known she had done it either until a few weeks ago.

"So you know Ginny?" Ron asked, trying to get the conversation going again.

"Y-yeah." Jayden smiled at the thought of her new friend. "She help me out at the b-barrier."

"And you lived with muggles?" Ron said. "What are they like?"

"They're… well, I lived w-with my aunt, uncle, and c-cousin. They were… not nice. Most are t-though," she amended quickly. "Just not them. I wish I h-had brothers and sisters like you."

"There's seven of us," said Ron. "I'm the sixth to go to Hogwarts. Bill and Charlie graduated, Fred and George and Percy are in Hogwarts, and Ginny's coming next year. It's tough for mum and dad, you know? But it's rough cause if I do something great, it's not a big deal 'cause they did it first."

"Oh…" Well, she hadn't been expecting a life story, but alright…

Ron reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleeping rat, making Jayden wrinkle her nose in disgust. She didn't really like rats…

"This is Scabbers. He's pretty useless but he's mine." Ron said. Jayden nodded and they lapsed into silence, watching the scenery fly past the window.

Around noon or so, a knock came as the door opened, revealing a smiling woman pushing a trolley laden with sweets. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked.

Ron shook his head and muttered something about sandwiches, but Jayden, who hadn't eaten since the day before, nodded eagerly.

"Y-yes please, what is there?" she asked, pulling out a small bag of money. Her stomach growled, making the trolley woman smile.

"We have Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, and many other things, dear," she said kindly.

"Oh…." Jayden looked at everything quizzically. She had never heard of anything before, but being as hungry as she was, decided to go with one of each. You never knew if you'd like something until you tried it, after all. "E-excuse me, I don't suppose you have w-water, do you?" she asked softly once she had paid for everything. She was pretty thirsty as well and was dying for something to drink.

"Why yes we do," the woman said, smiling as she dug out a bottle of water. "You know, you're the first person who's asked me that. Three sickles please."

Jayden chuckled softly as she paid the woman before putting her candy stash on the seat beside her. "Would you like some?" she asked, seeing Ron stare at it enviously.

"Yes, please!" Ron reached over and took a Liquorice Wand, biting into it gleefully. Jayden rummaged though the pile, grabbing a pack of Chocolate Frogs. She blinked, looking at it cautiously.

"Ron, are these r-really frogs?" she asked worriedly.

"No," Ron said. He dug into a Pumpkin Pasty, not offering anything else.

Jayden unwrapped the frog and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. She looked at the wrapping; there was something there. A card with the name Albus Dumbledore and a picture of a rather old man wearing half-moon glasses and a crooked nose, beard, and moustache.

"Oh, it's just Dumbledore. I got like ten of him."

"Uh huh…" Jayden flipped over the card, reading:

Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for his discover of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

Interesting, she thought, glancing at the picture. Only, it wasn't there anymore.

"He's gone!"

"Well, yeah," Ron said around a mouthful of Pasty, "you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?"

"I d-didn't know they moved. In muggle pictures they d-don't move," Jayden pointed out softly.

"They don't?" Ron looked astounded. Jayden shook her head and looked at the card again; Dumbledore was back, and he smiled up at her, a twinkle in his eyes. She and Ron lapsed into silence once more until a knock came from the compartment door. A round-faced boy that Jayden vaguely remembered seeing on the platform peeked in, looking distraught.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad anywhere?" he asked.

"N-no, sorry," Jayden said, shaking her head. The boy looked close to tears at this. "B-but I'm sure he'll turn up eventually," Jayden added.

The boy looked slightly hopeful. "Yeah? Well if you see him…"

"W-we'll come find you," Jayden promised. The boy nodded and left.

"I don't see why he cares so much," Ron scoffed. "It's just a stupid toad."

"Some people c-care about their pets," Jayden murmured. "You have S-Scabbers, he has his toad."

Ron snorted, poking the snoozing rat with his wand. "Not like I want him. Do you want to see a spell?"

Jayden looked up and nodded slightly. Did she ever! She hadn't had a chance to learn any spells before, as the Dursleys had taken all of her school supplies as well as her wand away from her the moment she had returned from Diagon Alley.

Ron prodded the rat again with his wand. "He might've died and you'd never be able to tell," he said, disgusted, "I tried to turn him yellow before, although it didn't' seem to work. I'll try again though."

The door opened again, making Ron stop. Jayden looked up; it was the boy again, but this time he had a girl with him. Jayden's heart skipped a beat. The girl was pretty; she had long, bushy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes that gleamed with knowledge.

Jayden blushed, taking off her glasses and wiping the lenses clean. "H-hi," she squeaked out. Jayden mentally slapped herself, why did she always have to stammer around people?

"Hello. Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his." The girl said in a bossy yet kind tone.

"We've already said we haven't seen it." Ron told her, exasperated, but she wasn't looking, instead looking at the wand in his hand.

"Are you doing magic?" she asked curiously. Jayden scooted over and the girl sat down with a smile.

"Err – yeah." Ron said.

"Well, let's see it then."

Ron cleared his throat, pointing his wand at Scabbers. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow." He flourished his wand. Nothing happened. Scabbers merely rolled over and remained grey and fast asleep.

"Are y-you sure that's a real spell, Ron?" Jayden asked skeptically. Some magic, she thought, disappointed.

Ron muttered something and turned away. The girl rolled her eyes before facing Jayden.

"Hello there, I don't think I introduced myself earlier. I'm Hermione Granger, and you are…"

"Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"I-I'm J-Jayden Potter," Jayden said shyly.

Hermione gasped. "Are you really? I know all about you, from reading, of course. Did you know that you're in 'Modern Magical History', 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts', and 'Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century'?"

Jayden's jaw dropped at this. "I am?"

"You don't know? I would've found out everything I could if it were me," Hermione said. "You're incredibly famous, you know."

Jayden made a face. "B-believe me, I've noticed. B-but you can't t-trust everything you read in books, H-Hermione." She cringed as she saw Hermione's insulted face and hurried to explain. "I-I mean, those p-people don't know me, they weren't there, so h-how would they know what really h-happened or who I am?"

"You have a point…" Hermione said thoughtfully. "Do you like to read, Jayden?"

"I love it!" Jayden exclaimed. "I d-didn't have many books, but I always read w-whatever I could get my hands on. There are w-whole worlds in books that you can explore."

"I know!" Hermione said, smiling. "No one else really gets that; it's great to find someone else who likes reading as much as I do." She glanced at Jayden's face and frowned. "Oh my, your glasses are broken, Jayden."

"Huh?" Jayden blinked, surprised at the turn in conversation. "Oh, right. T-they've been like that for ages, i-it's not a big deal."

"Hand them over," Hermione said. She held out her hand. "I'll fix them for you."

"Can you really do that?" Jayden asked, handing her glasses over to Hermione. She squinted as her world turned blurry.

"Mhmm." Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at Jayden's glasses. "Occulus Reparo," she said, tapping the frame gently. She placed the glasses gently back on Jayden's face and peeled the tape that was holding them together off. "How are they? It's my first time ever doing the spell, I hope they're okay."

Jayden grinned, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "B-brilliant. Thank you Hermione. Umm… w-would you like to sit down? You too, N-Neville," she added, remembering the boy that had come in with Hermione. "I-I'm sure you've searched everywhere, y-your toad will turn up w-where you least expect it."

"You're right." Neville sighed, taking a seat next to Ron.

Jayden smiled and turned back to Hermione. "S-so, are your parents magical, Hermione?" she asked curiously. Hermione shook her head, making her bushy hair fly everywhere.

"No, they're ordinary dentists. I'm the first witch in the family. My parents were so proud when I received my Hogwarts letter, were yours? Oh... I mean, were the people that take care of you?"

"N-not exactly…" Jayden murmured, wincing.

Hermione blushed and changed the subject. "How are you finding everything so far? I know it was amazing when I found out about magic. A bit overwhelming though."

Jayden visibly perked up at this. "I love it so far! Everything is so different and exciting. I really like the people I've met though…" she blushed softly, looking at Hermione, who smiled at her.

"Are you always this quiet, Jayden?" she asked curiously, wanting to learn more about her new friend. Jayden blushed harder and nodded.

"I-I don't have many friends." Understatement of the year, she thought to herself. "S-so I stammer a l-lot around people. I learned that being q-quiet has its advantages." Jayden said softly. If she was quiet, Uncle Vernon would usually ignore her.

"Well, we'll have to change that, won't we?" Hermione said, taking Jayden's hand in hers. "It's weird when someone is quieter than me. I'm the quiet one, especially in libraries."

Jayden smiled at her, leaning against the window and visibly relaxing. She and Hermione continued to talk while Ron and Neville discussed the pros and cons of Quidditch… whatever that was. Just as she and Hermione were getting into the topic of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', the compartment door opened and three boys entered. Jayden recognized the blonde one as the pale boy she had met in Madam Malkin's robe shop. He stared at her, making her shiver.

"Is it true?" he asked. "They're saying that Jayden Potter's in here. Is it true?"

* * *

A.N.: And there's the first chapter! I bet none of you expected to see a quiet, shy, stammering Jayden Potter, did you? In all my time reading fanfiction, I've pretty much never seen Harry or a replacement for him be meek, stuttering, or soft-spoken, so I decided to change things. Hope to read some reviews, no flames please. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated though!


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: It is currently four in the morning, and I feel the need to post something else. Also, my internet is currently going haywire (damn Shaw people!) so I have nothing to do. I figured, why not, I might as well get started on the second chapter, seeing as I have nothing better to do.

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. Here is the second chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_Jayden smiled at her, leaning against the window and visibly relaxing. She and Hermione continued to talk while Ron and Neville discussed the pros and cons of Quidditch… whatever that was. Just as she and Hermione were getting into the topic of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', the compartment door opened and three boys entered. Jayden recognized the blonde one as the pale boy she had met in Madam Malkin's robe shop. He stared at her, making her shiver._

_"Is it true?" he asked. "They're saying that Jayden Potter's in here. Is it true?"_

* * *

"Y-yes. I'm Jayden Potter," Jayden said quietly. "We've met before." She glanced at the two other boys. They were very big, and looked very mean as well. She guessed that they were the blond boy's followers, or bodyguards. "Umm… w-who are you again? I c-can't recall your name."

"Draco Malfoy," the pale boy said. He gestured to the other two. "These two are Crabbe and Goyle."

Ron coughed, hiding a snicker. Draco looked at him with contempt. "Think my name's funny, do you? Red hair, freckles, and ratty robes. You must be a Weasley." He looked around the compartment, his upper lip curled in disgust. "Ah, Longbottom, I wasn't expecting to see you in here. Shouldn't you be at home? Hogwarts is for people with higher intelligence, after all. Although if they're letting Weasley in…" Draco turned to face Hermione. "And you are?"

"Hermione Granger."

Draco sneered at her. "You're obviously not a Pureblood, are you?"

"No, my parents are both muggles," Hermione answered him. "They're wonderful people though."

Draco's face contorted in disgust. "A pauper, an idiot, and a mudblood. Some friends you have, Potter."

Jayden frowned as she glanced at Hermione; she looked ready to cry. She didn't know exactly what a mudblood was, but she knew that it was definitely an insult, judging from Ron and Neville's faces. She guessed it had something to do with dirty blood. Jayden stood up and glared at Malfoy, clenching her fists. "D-don't talk to her like that!" she growled angrily.

"And why not?" Malfoy sneered. He moved closer to Jayden, who stepped back. "You'll find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He leered at Jayden, making her squirm uncomfortably.

"N-no. Not after you insulted my f-friends." Jayden cleared her throat, stepping forward into his space. "I can tell who the wr-wrong sort are, and it isn't them. I think y-you need to leave now," she said coolly.

Draco Malfoy's cheeks turned pink with anger. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Or you'll find yourself ending up just like your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. If you hang around with garbage like the Weasleys and mudbloods, it'll rub off on you eventually."

Ron stood up, his face as red as his hair. "Say that again," he said.

"Ron, sit down," Hermione hissed at him.

Malfoy sneered at her. "Yes Weasley, listen to the mudblood."

Hermione sniffed quietly, and Jayden lost it. "Get out Malfoy! You've insulted us enough."

"Make me." Malfoy smirked. "I don't feel like leaving. Do you, Crabbe, Goyle?"

"No." They both said. Goyle reached for one of the chocolate frogs, but before he could grab one, Jayden spoke.

"I w-wouldn't get too comfy in here M-Malfoy," she said softly. "I don't think we want m-mudbloods in here, after all."

"Are you calling me a mudblood?" Malfoy said dangerously.

Jayden shrugged. "Just because Hermione isn't from a w-wizarding family doesn't mean she has d-dirty blood. I think that the o-ones who do are the ones who d-deliberately hurt others and d-discriminate against them. N-now, I think you should leave."

"You're making a big mistake, Potter," Malfoy hissed angrily. Jayden smiled at him.

"I-I don't think so," she said softly. Malfoy sneered at her once more before storming off, his goons following him. Jayden closed the compartment door before slumping against the seat, feeling relieved and drained.

"Jayden?"

"Mmm...?"

Hermione engulfed Jayden in a big hug, making her squeak in surprise and go completely rigid.

"Thank you for defending me, Jayden," Hermione whispered softly. She leaned over and kissed Jayden on the cheek, making her blush and Ron and Neville's jaws to drop.

"I-it was no p-problem," Jayden squeaked, patting Hermione's back. Hermione squeezed Jayden gently before drawing back, a large smile on her face.

"Well, thank you. It was very brave of you to stand up to Malfoy like that, especially for someone you don't know." Hermione said. She gasped suddenly. "Oh, you need to get changed into your robes!"

"I-I do?"

"Yes! I don't think we have much time left before we arrive," Hermione said. She looked over at the two boys, who were watching her curiously. "You two should get changed as well."

"I guess," Ron muttered. He stood up and began to take off his shirt, but Jayden yelped and threw an empty candy box at him. "N-not here Ron! Out!"

Ron's face turned bright red and he stammered out an apology before leaving the compartment, Neville following right behind him.

Sighing to herself, Jayden opened her trunk and pulled out her new robes. She glanced over at Hermione, who had already changed earlier on, and blushed. "Umm… c-could you turn around, please?" she asked, her voice a near whisper. Hermione giggled and turned around to face the window.

"Okay, go ahead," she chirped. Jayden quickly stripped down to her underwear and pulled on her new clothes, which consisted of black pants, a white dress shirt, a grey vest and a tie, as well as her robes.

"O-okay, all done," she said. Jayden fidgeted in her clothes as Hermione looked her over.

"You look much better now, Jayden, but why are you wearing the boys' uniform?"

Jayden looked down at herself. She was? "I am?"

"Yep," Hermione said. "See?" Hermione was wearing nearly the exact same thing that Jayden was; the only difference was the skirt instead of pants.

"O-oh." Jayden gulped. She hadn't known that there were different uniforms, she had just gone in and Madam Malkin had giver her pants, so she had assumed that that was what she was supposed to wear. What if the teachers got mad and decided to expel her? She'd have to go back to the Dursleys then! She paled, various consequences coming to mind.

"Don't worry about it, Jayden," Hermione said. "I doubt that it's that big of a deal."

"O-okay." Jayden smiled timidly, fidgeting with her tie as Hermione watched on, amused.

"Do you need help with that?" she asked. Jayden nodded, and Hermione took her tie, fixing it properly in a matter of seconds. Jayden gaped at her. "H-how did you do that?"

Hermione grinned, patting Jayden down gently. "I always fix my dad's tie when my mum is busy. My mum says it's a skill that only women possess, but I guess you missed out when it was being handed out." She smiled, letting Jayden know she was just kidding around.

Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in approximately five minutes. Please leave your luggage on board, and it will be taken to Hogwarts separately."

Jayden shuddered, her nerves almost nonexistent. She was scared, terrified, really. Hermione, she saw, was pale as well, her bright eyes looking even brighter against the pale skin.

"I-I guess we should go," Jayden stammered. Hermione nodded furiously.

"Yeah. Let's go."

The train slowed down and finally stopped, nearly making Jayden topple over. She and Hermione exited the compartment and found themselves standing on a tiny, dark platform with the rest of the student. Then a light shone out over the heads of the students and Jayden heard a familiar voice.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Hagrid's voice boomed. The giant man turned to Jayden and smiled, his eyes narrowing down on her small form. "How are yeh, Jayden?"

"F-fine!" Jayden called up to him. Hagrid beamed at her.

"Good! Firs' years follow me now! C'mon, this way!" The big man lumbered forward, prompting the first years to scramble after him. Jayden grabbed onto Hermione's arm unconsciously as she saw her peers slip and slide down the steep, narrow path. It was really dark outside, and she didn't want to lose her only friend.

"Jayden, look!" Hermione whispered as they rounded a bend. "It's Hogwarts!"

Jayden gasped. Perched on top of a high mountain was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Owls flew around the castle, and the full moon hung high in the sky, making the castle and its grounds seem majestic.

Hagrid led the first years down to the edge of a great, black looking lake where a fleet of tiny boats were waiting for them.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called. Jayden and Hermione moved to a boat where they were joined by Ron and Neville.

"H-Hermione?" Jayden whispered as she got into the boat. "D-do you think this can h-hold us? I-it doesn't look very safe."

"I'm sure it will. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let us drown," Hermione said, but she didn't sound so sure of herself.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid shouted. "Yes? Forward!"

The boats moved off all at once, starting towards the castle. Jayden yawned quietly, leaning against Hermione. Normally she wouldn't have dared to do such a thing, but she was completely exhausted, and Hermione was comfy. Especially when she wrapped an arm around Jayden and allowed her to snuggle into her robes.

"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as the first boats reached the cliff on which the castle stood. Everyone ducked and the boats passed through a curtain of ivy that hid an opening in the cliffs. The boats docked on the shore and everyone clambered off.

"Jayden, we're here," Hermione whispered, shaking Jayden gently. The girl opened her eyes and blinked, looking up into Hermione's smiling face. She squeaked, jumping out of the boat.

"S-sorry Hermione!" Jayden said, feeling embarrassed to have fallen asleep on the other girl.

Hermione grinned at the blush on Jayden's cheeks. "It's okay Jayden, I didn't mind at all," she said. Hermione glanced down, shyly slipping her hand into Jayden's. "Shall we go?

"H-huh?" Jayden looked up; the rest of the first years were at the top of the steps of the castle. "Oh! Y-yes, let's go Hermione!" Jayden ran up the steps, not letting go of Hermione's hand. It felt nice to hold it, and she hadn't felt like this in a long time, if ever. It felt like bubbles were in her stomach, making her feel happy.

"Trevor!" Neville cried, startling Jayden from her thoughts. The boy clutched his toad to him and smiled joyfully.

Jayden giggled softly, making Hermione whip her head around at the sound. "You ready?" she asked softly. The smaller girl smiled and nodded, squeezing Hermione's hand gently.

"A-as ready as I'll ever be," Jayden said. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and banged on the large oak door, making her jump.

Hermione smiled, poking Jayden's side. "You're so jumpy. Why is that?"

"N-no reason," Jayden laughed softly. She swatted Hermione's hand away, pushing her lightly. "Quit it!"

"No," Hermione said, tickling Jayden's sides. The smaller girl bit her lip to stifle the laughter that was threatening to come out.

The door to the castle swung open and a tall, black haired witch in emerald green robes stood there. Hermione moved away from Jayden, making her frown in disappointment.

"Everyone is here, Hagrid?" the witch said.

"Yea, all the firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid replied.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

Hagrid nodded his scruffy head and left, and the professor ushered everyone inside. The entrance hall was enormous! Lots of flaming torches lit the way, and Jayden gaped at the suits of armor lining the stone walls. It was even more amazing than she had ever expected.

The first years followed Professor McGonagall to an empty chamber. Jayden could hear other students down further and guessed that there would be an introduction before they could join the others.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall started. "Before you join the other students for the start-of-term banquet, you will be sorted into your houses. For the rest of the school year, your house will be like your family.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each is special in its own unique way. While you are here, your triumphs will earn your house points, but any rule breaking will lose points, and at the end of the year the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup."

Jayden's head spun with all the new information. What if she lost points and her house hated her? What if she failed all the classes? What if-

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the school in a few minutes. I shall return when we are ready for you," McGonagall said. She eyed some of the students. "I suggest you all smarten yourselves up before then." The professor turned and left.

Jayden swallowed, tugging Hermione's sleeve. "W-what do we do at the S-Sorting Ceremony?"

"I heard that it's some sort of test." Ron spoke up from beside her. "Fred said it hurts a lot."

"Rubbish," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "I highly doubt the teachers would let first years get hurt."

"Y-you think so?" Jayden asked nervously. Hermione smiled at her.

"Yeah. Don't worry Jayden." Hermione said softly. Jayden smiled back, her nerves fading slightly. She looked at the door; any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead them into the Great Hall.

Then several people screamed, making her jump and clutch Hermione's arm fearfully.

"Oh my –"

Jayden lurched back, trembling. About twenty ghosts had just entered the room through the wall in front of her. They were transparent and seemed to be arguing with each other.

"I really think we should give him a chance," a ghostly white monk said. "Forgive and forget, after all."

"Have we not given Peeves all the chances he deserves?" a ghost wearing ruffles and tights asked. "He gives us all a bad name and – what are you all doing here?" the ghost said, noticing the first years.

"New students! How delightful!" the monk said, smiling at them. Jayden squeaked in fear, burying her head in Hermione's cloak. The taller girl giggled softly, nudging her.

"Scaredy cat," she said, grinning.

"I-I am not!" Jayden protested. "My entire r-reality has just b-been turned inside out, I'm allowed to be s-shocked."

Hermione smiled, wrapping an arm around Jayden's waist. "Sure, whatever you say, Jayden," she said playfully. "Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Hermione struck a pose.

Jayden grinned and laughed. "Oh, my v-very own knight in sh-shining armor." She put a hand to her forehead and swooned dramatically and the two girls burst into laughter, the worry of being Sorted leaving them for the moment.

"You two, behave!" a sharp voice called out. Jayden and Hermione immediately stopped laughing and straightened themselves hurriedly. Professor McGonagall had returned.

"Good," she said, giving them a tight smile. "Now, form a line, the Sorting Ceremony is about to start."

Jayden felt the fear from earlier wash over her as she got into line behind Hermione. The ghosts bid them goodbye and floated away through a wall, leaving the students alone with the stern-faced witch. As they were lead out of the chamber, Jayden wondered what would happen at the Ceremony. She gasped softly as they entered the Great Hall; she had never seen such an amazing place! The hall was filled to the brim with students who were sitting at four long tables. Hundreds of thousands of candles floated above it all, lighting up the room, and the ceiling! She looked up; it was like there wasn't even a roof and the castle just opened up, showing off the evening sky.

"Wow…" Jayden gasped, looking around some more. At the top of the hall was another long table where all the teachers were sitting. Some of the ghosts had also joined the festivity, hovering around the place. Professor McGonagall led them in front of the teachers' table and told them to stop.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Hermione whispered, looking up at the bewitched ceiling. "I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History'. The ceiling is enchanted to look like the sky outside."

Jayden nodded minutely, her eyes roaming over the Great Hall. However, she quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall placed a small four-legged stool in front of the first years, and then put a tattered wizards' hat on top of it. Jayden wrinkled her nose; the hat was frayed at the edges and seemed to be made up entirely of patches.

I wonder if we need to pull a rabbit out of it, Jayden thought, staring at the hat in confusion. She started as the hat twitched. Oh my god, it moved! A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and Jayden watched it carefully, expecting it to impart some words of wisdom or something, which was she nearly faceplanted when it began to sing.

What in the world? Singing hats? I think I've finally lost it, Jayden thought, her eyes wide.

Once the hat had finished its song –off key, she noted- the entire hall burst into applause and the hat bowed, as much as a hat could, to the four tables before becoming still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Jayden. "I'll kill Fred; he said we had to wrestle a troll!"

"Not likely," Hermione whispered quietly into Jayden's ear. "Is he really that gullible?" Jayden snickered softly, shushing her. She was relieved though; she only had to try on the hat, although she'd rather that she could try it on in a separate room without everyone watching. She glanced up as Professor McGonagall stepped forward again, this time holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be Sorted," she said. The witch looked at the parchment and called out, "Abbott, Hannah!"

"H-Hermione?" Jayden whispered, biting her lip. "W-what if we're not in t-the same House? I-I don't want to be in a d-different one than you." She vaguely heard the hat shout out for the girl to be placed in Hufflepuff.

"Don't worry Jayden, we'll still be friends," Hermione promised. "After all, I'm your knight and you're my damsel in distress. How can we not be friends?"

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!"

Jayden blushed, a smile on her face. "Yeah, you're right. I want t-to be the knight though," she said softly.

"And I'll be your princess?" Hermione asked, smiling as well.

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Y-yeah," Jayden said timidly.

"Aww, I have my own knight." Hermione giggled. "You're sort of tiny though for a knight."

"I'm n-not tiny!" Jayden pouted, her lower lip sticking out slightly. "I-I'm just vertically challenged." The two girls shared a smile, standing next to each other as numerous first years were called up and Sorted until finally Hermione's name came up.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione squeezed Jayden's hand gently, reassuring her before walking over to the stool and placing the hat on her head. Jayden gnawed on her lower lip as a minute rolled by, but no decision was made. Was Hermione okay? Why was she still being Sorted? It shouldn't take that long, right? Would she be Sorted?

Finally the hat opened its mouth and shouted, "Gryffindor!" Hermione jumped up and ran to her new House, waving at Jayden, who waved back hesitantly. Next to her, Ron groaned.

"I can't believe she's in Gryffindor," he said. "That's where I'll be, and I'll be stuck in the same House as her."

"What's wrong with her?" Jayden asked, feeling defensive for her new friend. Ron remained silent and she rolled her eyes. Boys.

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Jayden watched as Neville tripped on his way to the stool before jamming the hat on his head. The hat seemed to take a long time to decide, poor Neville was up there for nearly two minutes before it shouted, "Gryffindor!" and Neville ran towards the table, still wearing it. Jayden smiled sympathetically as the entire hall burst into laughter and Neville slunk over the Gryffindor table, looking humiliated. She knew from previous experience what being laughed at felt like.

Suddenly, a horrible thought struck her. What if the hat couldn't put her in a House, and she just sat on the stool until Professor McGonagall took it from her and said she wasn't fit to be a witch? What if she got kicked out then? She watched blankly as "Malfoy, Draco" was called and the blonde-haired boy from earlier swaggered forward, barely touching the hat on his head before it screamed out, "Slytherin!"

Oh god, oh god, it's nearly my turn! Jayden thought, mentally panicking as the rest of the 'M's' were called, then the 'N's', the 'O's', and finally, the 'P's'. She gulped, suddenly feeling like she was about to head to the gallows.

"Potter, Jayden!"

* * *

A.N." There, finished! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sooooo tired now…. Time to sleep… Zzzzzzz….


	4. Chapter Three

* * *

Disclaimer:

I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: I'd like to thank everyone that has taken the time to review my story! I didn't expect it to be overly popular or anything, and it's not, but it's still more than I was expecting. And now, I'd like to answer the few questions I've gotten so far.

DukeBrymin: As entertaining as the idea is of a Jayden/Hermione/Ginny pairing, it's definitely not going to happen, sorry. Can you really imagine Jayden doing such a thing without blushing, stammering, and possibly fainting? No, Jayden is only Hermione's, but there may be some conflict coming up in the sequel between our resident know-it-all and the youngest Weasley, I'm not sure yet.

Punk1Pikachu: I'm glad you like the idea so far! I always wondered what would happen if there was a shy Harry and bold Hermione, and now I have the answer! To answer your question, no, Jayden isn't a female variation of James. I honestly wasn't thinking of him at all when I created her character. Now that you mention it, she does have the potential… hmm…

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. Here is the third chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_Suddenly, a horrible thought struck her. What if the hat couldn't put her in a House, and she just sat on the stool until Professor McGonagall took it from her and said she wasn't fit to be a witch? What if she got kicked out then? She watched blankly as "Malfoy, Draco" was called and the blonde-haired boy from earlier swaggered forward, barely touching the hat on his head before it screamed out, "Slytherin!"_

_Oh god, oh god, it's nearly my turn! Jayden thought, mentally panicking as the rest of the 'M's' were called, then the 'N's', the 'O's', and finally, the 'P's'. She gulped, suddenly feeling like she was about to head to the gallows._

_"Potter, Jayden!"_

* * *

Jayden bit her lip and timidly took a step forward, hating the whispers that broke out as her name was called.

"Potter?"

"The Jayden Potter?"

"She's sort of puny to be the Girl-Who-Lived, don't you think?"

Jayden narrowed her eyes at the last one; she was not puny! Muttering a few choice words, she sat down on the stool and placed the hat on her head, a small squeak escaping her as her vision was blacked out. She waited, unsure as to what would happen.

"Hmm…. Jayden Potter. Difficult. Very difficult," a voice said in her ear. Jayden stiffened in surprise. The hat was talking to her!

"Of course I am, I need to see where you should be sorted, after all," the hat said. "Let's see… you're very smart, but not very outspoken. Lots of talent, plenty of courage, although you don't show it very often – oh, and a nice thirst to prove yourself. This is very difficult indeed. You could go into any one of the Houses, although I don't think Slytherin is for you. You're much too quiet for that." The hat seemed intrigued. "Do you have a preference, my dear?"

Jayden nodded slightly, an image of Hermione coming to her mind. The hat seemed to brighten at this.

"Ah, Ms. Granger. I see, I see. You would like to be placed with your friend then?"

"If it's within your power, yes," Jayden thought. The hat gave a nod.

"If it's not Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin you desire, it better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Jayden jolted and let out a tiny yelp as the hat shouted the last word, and a table erupted in applause. Just before she took off the hat, she heard, "good luck, Jayden Potter. You'll need every bit that you can get." The girl paused for a second but no further words were spoken, so she gently placed the hat back on the stool and walked shakily over to the Gryffindor table. Percy the Prefect stood up and shook her hand vigorously while Fred and George danced around yelling, "We got Potter, we got Potter!"

"Good job, I knew you could do it!" Hermione said, beaming at Jayden as she sat down. Jayden sighed contentedly, resting against Hermione's body as the stress from being Sorted wore off.

"I-I thought w-we wouldn't be together," she murmured, hugging Hermione. "It t-took so long to decide, I t-thought it would never pick."

The bushy-haired girl patted Jayden on the arm. "You're here now, so it's okay," she said gently. Jayden struggled to hide the wince she gave as Hermione unknowingly pressed down on one of the bruises that Vernon had given her, specifically the one she had gotten in the car earlier on.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, noticing the wince.

"I-I'm fine," Jayden said, lying through her teeth. Hermione nodded in acceptance, and Jayden turned her focus to the High Table. At the end closest to her sat Hagrid, who winked at her and gave her a thumbs up. Jayden smiled and waved slightly, slowly looking over. There, smack dab in the middle of the table sat Albus Dumbledore himself. Jayden recognized him from the card that she had gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. She was also able to spot Professor Quirrell from their meeting in the Leaky Cauldron earlier when Hagrid had taken her to get her school supplies. She laughed silently as he fiddled with the purple turban wrapped around his head.

Glancing up, Jayden was surprised to see that there were only a few people left. "R-Ron's up next," she said softly to Hermione.

"He looks green," Hermione noted. Jayden didn't notice the frown on her friend's face as the hat shouted "Gryffindor!"

Jayden clapped along with the rest of the Gryffindors as Ron collapsed next to her.

"Well done Ron, excellent," Ron's brother, Percy, said as the last first year, a "Zabini, Blaise!" was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

"Hey, H-Hermione," Jayden whispered. She blushed slightly as Hermione looked at her. "Umm… d-do you think w-we can go to sleep soon?"

"Why, you sleepy?" Hermione whispered back. Jayden gave a shy nod. She hadn't slept in a while because she had been much too excited about leaving the Dursleys to get any rest. Also, since Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon realized that they would be losing their slave for the year, they had made her clean the house from top to bottom. Not to mention how Dudley had felt the need to try out his new Smeltings stick on her. Like father, like son, right?

Albus Dumbledore stood up, a large smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" he said. "Before we begin eating though, I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!"

Dumbledore sat back down as everybody clapped and cheered loudly. Jayden's jaw dropped slightly, uncertain whether she should laugh or run for the hills away from the crazy man.

"Is he mad?" she asked Hermione.

"Maybe. He's supposed to be a genius though," Hermione said.

"Mad?" Percy cut in. "He's the greatest wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, anyone?"

Jayden's mouth fell open and beside her she could hear Hermione gasp. The golden dishes in front of them were piled high with an insane amount of food, more than she had ever seen in her entire life. There was roast beef, chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausage, boiled, roast, and mashed potatoes, chips, peas, carrots, gravy, and a whole lot of other stuff that she had never even heard of before, like mint humbugs.

Saying that the Dursleys had starved Jayden wasn't that far off from the truth. Actually it was pretty much spot on, seeing as Vernon had always withheld food as a form of punishment. Jayden blamed him for the fact that she was one of the smallest first years.

"You're drooling," Hermione whispered, amused. Jayden's hands immediately touched her mouth.

"I am not!" she pouted. Jayden hmpthed and piled a bit of everything on her plate and began to eat ravenously. She was starving! Surprisingly, the mint humbugs weren't that bad.

"That looks quite good," a voice said beside her. Jayden started in shock, choking. Hermione quickly handed her a glass of pumpkin juice of all things, and Jayden gulped it down, her eyes watering.

"T-thanks," she said hoarsely.

"Quite sorry about that," the ghost said. He had been the voice that had spoken to her, the ghost wearing ruffles and tights from earlier. "Didn't mean to scare you. Just looking at everything."

"Umm… you can't…"

"I haven't eaten in nearly four hundred years," the ghost said. "Of course, I don't need to but I do miss the taste of food. Oh, forgive me; I've neglected to introduce myself. My name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service. I am the resident ghost of Gryffindor tower."

"I know you!" Ron said suddenly. "Fred and George told me; you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer if you'd call me -"

"Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?" a boy, Seamus Finnegan interrupted.

Jayden frowned at having their conversation interrupted. Boys, she thought again.

"Like this," Sir Nicholas said irritably. He grabbed his left ear and pulled, and his whole head swung off his neck like a hinge, falling onto his shoulder. Jayden winced; someone had obviously failed at their job, for his head was still attached by the barest bit of flesh.

"I-I'm very sorry to hear that, Sir N-Nicholas," Jayden said sympathetically. The ghost seemed to cheer up at her words.

"Thank you, my dear. I assume that you'll help to win the house championship this year? We haven't won in so long, and the Bloody Baron's been bragging nonstop because it's the Slytherins that always win."

Jayden smiled at him, nodding timidly. "I-I'll do my best," she promised.

"Excellent, my dear," Sir Nicholas said, smiling at her. "I suggest you get started on dessert now, you'll have to go to the dormitory soon."

Jayden's eyes widened in surprise; all of the food from earlier had disappeared, and numerous desserts had replaced it. There were puddings and ice cream in every flavor imaginable, pies, treacle tarts, éclairs and doughnuts, fruit, jelly….

Jayden licked her lips unconsciously, making Hermione giggle. "You look like you're in heaven," Hermione laughed. She held out a strawberry in front of Jayden's lips. "Here."

Blushing, Jayden looked at Hermione. "U-umm…"

"No?" Hermione shrugged, biting into it and chewing thoughtfully. "Oh well, never mind then."

"I d-didn't say no!" Jayden protested. Hermione smiled, holding out another strawberry.

"Well?" she asked. Jayden blushed harder, ignoring the stares from her housemates as she leaned forward and bit into the berry gently, relishing the tangy burst of flavor.

"Mmm… yummy," she said, licking her lips. She gasped as Hermione popped the other half of the berry into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

"What?" Hermione asked, seeing Jayden's astonished gaze. "Oh, it's not going to kill me, Jayden. Honestly," she giggled, "you're such a worrywart."

"Hmph," Jayden pouted, turning to a bowl filled with vanilla soft-serve and dug in, pointedly ignoring Hermione's snicker.

"Jaaaydeeen, come on," Hermione whined, tugging Jayden's sleeve. When Jayden ignored her she smiled, swiping a bit of whipped cream off of a piece of pie and dabbing it on Jayden's nose.

"You did not just d-do that," Jayden groaned, crossing her eyes to take a look at the damage. Hermione just smiled innocently.

"So, what classes are you looking forward to?" Hermione asked, changing the subject. Jayden rolled her eyes and wiped off her nose.

"U-umm… I'm r-really looking forward to T-Transfiguration, Potions, and Herbology," she said. "W-what about you?"

"I think Transfiguration as well, and History," Hermione said, grinning at the thought of all the classes she was looking forward to. "Magical history must be fascinating, I can't wait. Charms also seems interesting, don't you think?" The two girls talked for a bit more before Jayden let out a tiny yawn, looking up at the High Table to see if it was time to leave yet. Hagrid was eating still, while Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. She looked over; Professor Quirrell was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and a scowl on his face.

Pain flared suddenly across the scar on Jayden's forehead when the hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's head and locked eyes with her. Jayden gasped softly and clutched her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"O-oww…"

"What is it?" Hermione asked, instantly serious. Jayden waved her off, blinking back the tears.

"N-nothing. It's nothing."

The pain faded quickly into nothing, leaving Jayden with a sense of unease. She glanced up quickly to see if the man was still looking at her, but he was talking to Professor Quirrell once again. She bit her lip; what on earth had that been? Why had her scar hurt like that just now? It had never done that before.

"Who's the teacher t-talking to Professor Q-Quirrell?" she asked Percy, wanting to know who it was that had made her scar react like that.

"That's Professor Snape," Percy told her. "He teaches Potions, but everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Quirrell teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, or DADA, if you didn't already know."

"T-thanks Percy." Jayden frowned, rubbing her scar thoughtfully. Was there a reason that her scar hurt when Professor Snape had looked at her?

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked, sounding concerned. Jayden nodded slightly, dropping her hand away from her head.

"I-I'm okay," she said firmly. She could tell that Hermione didn't believe a word that she had said, especially when Hermione glared at her.

"You're lying," the brunette said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Jayden's eyes widened automatically, and she just knew that she had a guilty expression on her face. "I-I am not," she stuttered, glancing away.

"Are so. We'll talk about this later," Hermione hissed quietly so only Jayden could hear.

"H-Hermione…"

Just as Jayden opened her mouth to speak, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet, prompting her to fall silent. The dessert disappeared as well, leaving the dishes sparkling clean and making her pout in disappointment. She wanted another strawberry, darn it. They were good!

"I have a few announcements to make before you all head to your House dormitories," Professor Dumbledore said. He cleared his throat. "First years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all students, and I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, our caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used in the corridors, and that the list of banned items can be found posted outside of his office.

"Quidditch trials will begin in the second week of term, and anyone interested in playing should contact their Head of House or Madam Hooch, our flying instructor. And finally, this year the third floor corridor is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a horrible, painful death."

Jayden gulped in fear, seriously contemplating her earlier idea of running for the hills. Death? What kind of school was this? Professor Dumbledore couldn't be serious… right?

"Hey, don't worry," Hermione whispered, patting Jayden's hand. "I doubt you plan on doing something like that, so nothing will happen."

"Y-yeah," Jayden nodded.

After Professor Dumbledore led the school in the –horribly off key- singing of the school song he waved them off, bidding them all a goodnight. All of the Gryffindor first years followed Percy out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase, all the way up to the seventh floor, where a picture of a very fat lady was hung.

"Password?" the lady asked.

"Caput Draconis," Percy said.

The portrait swung open, revealing a door behind it. They all scrambled through it, and as Jayden got her first glimpse of the Common Room, her breath left her in an excited whoosh. It was big, and cozy, and there was a fireplace! And lots of couches and squashy armchairs!

"To the left is the boys' dorm, to the right, the girls' dorm," Percy said, pointing to two sets of stairs. "Some things I should mention before you head up to your dorms; make sure you remember the password, as it changes biweekly, and do not tell anyone it that's not in Gryffindor. Your trunks have already been brought up as well. Curfew is at ten; make sure you're in the Common Room by then or you'll get a detention." He paused. "That's about it, go ahead and go to your dorms now."

Hermione immediately grabbed Jayden's hand and dragged her up the right set of stairs, where they met their roommates, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

"Hi," Lavender said, waving at them. Jayden half-hid behind Hermione, waving shyly. These people –strangers- would be sharing the room with her and Hermione. She wasn't very good with strangers…

"H-h-hello, I'm J-Jayden," she whispered in a very soft voice.

"And I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger." Hermione nudged Jayden out from behind her, smiling as Jayden bit her lip and looked back at her.

"Go on Jayden, they're going to be our roommates for the next few years," Hermione said gently. "I bet they're nice people, don't be scared."

Lavender and Parvati smiled at Jayden. "It's nice to meet you, Jayden, Hermione," Parvati said. She held her hand out. "Would you like to be friends?"

"Sure," Hermione said, taking Parvati's, then Lavender's hands and shaking them. "It's nice to meet you two. Jayden?"

Jayden blushed and nodded shyly, moving closer to Hermione. "I-I'd like that," she said softly. She squeaked when Hermione pushed her forward again so that she was in front of the other girls. "Hermione…"

"She's really shy," Hermione explained, smiling patiently at Jayden. "Don't worry, she's normally like this. I'll break her of it yet."

"It's alright, we don't mind," Lavender said, smiling as well. She and Parvati both glanced at Jayden's forehead, where her scar was. "So, you're really the Jayden Potter?" Lavender asked curiously. "The one who defeated You-Know-Who?"

"You mean V-Voldemort?" Jayden said. The three girls flinched at his name.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" Parvati gasped.

"Umm… so?" Jayden asked, not understanding what the big deal was. "It's just a name, a-and c-calling him You-Know-Who is b-basically creating fear of the n-name itself." She giggled softly. "I-it's like his name is He-Who's-Name-Must-be H-hyphenated, w-what with all the extra w-words."

Hermione snorted at this, bursting into laughter. She looked at Parvati and Lavender; they looked positively horrified that Jayden had mocked the Dark Lord's name. Hermione laughed harder, her face turning red as she gasped for breath.

Jayden beamed, elated to have made her friend laugh.

"I can't believe you made fun of him!" Parvati exclaimed. "You'll be cursed! Killed!"

Jayden's eyes widened and she shrunk back, but Hermione quickly came to her defense. "She will not be killed. You-Know-Who isn't here, he won't be coming here, and even if he did, Hogwarts is impossible to break into. Especially with Professor Dumbledore here."

"You're right, we're sorry Jayden," Lavender apologized. She sat down on her bed and looked at Jayden curiously. "So, what's it like, being famous?"

"I-I don't like it," Jayden said immediately. "I d-don't remember what h-happened, and I d-don't like everyone t-treating me different. N-not to mention that m-my p-parents… died because of him. I'd r-rather have them b-back then be famous." She looked down, feeling sad.

"We're going to get ready for bed now, okay guys?" Hermione said. She took Jayden's hand gently, leading her over to one of the beds. It was a very nice four poster bed with deep red bedding and curtains that could be drawn around it for privacy.

"Here, this one is yours," Hermione said, smiling. "Cheer up now, okay?" She pointed to the bed to the right of Jayden's. "This one is mine, so don't hesitate to call if you need something, or just need someone to talk to, okay?"

"Yeah." Jayden grinned softly at Hermione and let go of her hand to jump onto her bed. She snuggled deep into the covers. They were so comfy and soft…

"Jayden, you have to change first before you sleep," Hermione said, poking Jayden. The girl swatted her hand away, grumbling.

"Jaaaydeeen, get up," Hermione said, tugging Jayden's hand.

"Fine, fine, m'up." Jayden shot Hermione a glare, although it looked more like a pout than anything. She dug through her trunk and pulled out a pair of boxers and a baggy t-shirt before jumping onto the bed again and pulling the curtains shut so no one could see her changing.

A few seconds later Jayden pulled the curtains back. "There, h-happy?" she asked Hermione. Grinning, Hermione nodded. Jayden's shirt was so large that it went down to the middle of her thighs, dwarfing her tiny figure.

"You look adorable!" she exclaimed.

"A-am not!"

"Yes, you are!" Hermione chuckled. "Honestly Jayden, what is it with you and boy's clothes? First your clothes when we met, then your uniform, and now you're wearing boxers."

Jayden shrugged, blushing the slightest bit. "T-the uniform wasn't my fault!" she said. "B-but they're comfy, that's all." And Aunt Petunia didn't believe in wasting good money on her, so all her clothes came from second hand stores; specifically, the came from the boys' section because they were cheaper since they were more worn out, and they were bought a few sizes too big so they would last her a few years. She liked her clothes though!

Hermione smiled fondly at her friend. "Well, whatever you like. You still look adorable though, like a tiny little teddy bear," She teased, seeing as the boxers Jayden was wearing had little fuzzy teddy bears on it.

"Now t-that's just mean," Jayden said, pouting. She tugged at the hem of her shirt, feeling self-conscious. "Well, umm… g-goodnight Hermione. You too, Lavender, Parvati."

"Night Jayden," the two girls chorused, getting ready themselves.

Hermione gave Jayden a quick hug before Jayden climbed into her bed. "Night Jayden," she said softly.

Jayden sighed and buried her head in her pillow, and was asleep almost at once.

* * *

A.N.: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, it just seemed like a good place to stop. Don't worry, the next chapter will be longer, I promise. The next chapter should be up sometime next week. I enjoy any questions that you have or any constructive criticism, so fire away if you have something to say or ask!

Something that I feel the need to bring up: what do people think of the Twilight series? Personally, I hate it; Stephanie Meyer in my opinion has written what seems to be poorly written fanfiction and yet has made millions. The inconsistencies and grammar/spelling mistakes in her books are horrendous. And don't get me started on the plot holes. I'm not dissing Twilight fans; I just think the books and movies are bad. You're all entitled to your own opinions. Also, the debate of Harry Potter vs. Twilight. I'd like to hear your opinions on the matter, as well as Twilight in general!


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review my stories. As the school year is coming up, I'm not entirely sure how this will affect the update rate. Hopefully things won't be too hectic. *cries* Too much pressure already! What with more grade 12 classes than 11, not to mention the damn play that's coming up soon that I need to make sure everything is running smoothly with the tech, and being manager for the store in my school, updating is going to be a pain in the behind. I'll try to make sure the updates come once every week or two, but no promises.

DukeBrymin: What would J.K. Rowling have done with a more assertive Hermione? The question boggles the mind. You seem to really want Ginny in the picture, but sadly, she will not be making any appearances until the next book. Fear not though, there is hope for you! Jayden will definitely be hearing from Ginny soon. She did promise to write her, didn't she?

TheHybrid02: Hmm… I'm glad you like my story, first of all! As for Hermione and Jayden's relationship developing too fast, you must remember that these are two eleven year old girls who have never really had any friends growing up. Dudley and the Dursleys made sure of that for Jayden, and I can honestly imagine Hermione being ignored or being picked on for being a Know-It-All. As such, I think that the first chance they have at having a best friend, they would definitely grab it. As for Hermione being too forward, maybe she is, but with Jayden being so shy, she'll have to be. Harry and Ron never really gave her the chance to be as assertive as she could have been, I think.

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. Here is the fourth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_Hermione smiled fondly at her friend. "Well, whatever you like. You still look adorable though, like a tiny little teddy bear," She teased, seeing as the boxers Jayden was wearing had little fuzzy teddy bears on it._

_"Now t-that's just mean," Jayden said, pouting. She tugged at the hem of her shirt, feeling self-conscious. "Well, umm… g-goodnight Hermione. You too, Lavender, Parvati."_

_"Night Jayden," the two girls chorused, getting ready themselves._

_Hermione gave Jayden a quick hug before Jayden climbed into her bed. "Night Jayden," she said softly._

_Jayden sighed and buried her head in her pillow, and was asleep almost at once._

* * *

"There, look, it's her!"

"Jayden Potter?"

"Yeah!"

"Did you see her face?"

"Did you see her _scar_?"

"She's shorter than I thought."

Jayden grumbled darkly under her breath at the last one. Why did they always have to comment on how short she was? All day people had been whispering about her, pointing at her, staring at her, her forehead especially, and it was starting to get annoying. Really, really annoying.

"What am I, a c-circus show?" she muttered to herself.

"Only if you have a bright red nose and a tricycle," a voice quipped. Jayden squeaked in fright and jumped slightly, making the person laugh.

"Oh, g-geez Hermione, y-you nearly gave me a h-heart attack!" Jayden exclaimed, putting a hand on her chest.

Hermione smiled at this. "Nah, you're my courageous knight in black pants. You don't die that easily."

"Hmph." Jayden stuck her tongue out even as she took Hermione's hand in hers, leading her to the Great Hall for breakfast. They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to the magical food that was sitting there.

"S-so, what have we got today?" Jayden asked Hermione after she had swallowed a mouthful of egg.

"Double Potions with Professor Snape and the Slytherins," Hermione said, sighing. "It's too bad too, since I heard that he always favors his own House. I'm really looking forward to it though, Potions sounds really interesting."

"I don't t-think Professor Snape likes me," Jayden said softly, remembering the feeling she had got from him at the feast.

"Hey Jayden."

Jayden looked up. Ron Weasley was sitting across from her, an anxious expression on his face. She guessed it was first day jitters, since she could feel the flutter of nervousness in the pit of her stomach just thinking of classes.

"H-hello Ron," she said, smiling.

Ron helped himself to a breakfast roll. "Tho, wuhver oo thoing ootay?" he asked, his mouth full.

"Chew first, then swallow, then speak," Hermione ordered, her nose wrinkling in disgust. Jayden stared at her, a tiny blush on her face. Cute…

Swallowing with considerable difficulty, Ron asked again, "I said, so what are you doing today?"

"U-umm, after class I-I'm hanging out with Hermione," she said, glancing over at Hermione for confirmation. "W-we'll be in the library. I r-really want to check out w-what books they have."

"Yep. Reading. Lots of reading. Many books to be read in there," Hermione confirmed. "Homework to do, things to study."

"But we haven't even started classes yet, we don't have any homework!" Ron exclaimed, astonished. Hermione gave him a grin.

"It's never too early to start studying," she said.

"Oh," Ron said. "I guess."

Just then, the post arrived. After getting over her shock, Jayden looked up, a tiny smile on her face as she saw the numerous owls fly into the Great Hall through the windows to deliver packages. She always enjoyed watching birds fly free, even before Hogwarts. It was something that made her feel happy.

The owls circled over the tables until they saw their owners, and then dropped their packages and letters onto their owners' laps. A large snowy owl flew down in front of Jayden, hooting affectionately and nipping her ear.

"Hedwig!" Jayden happily greeted her owl. She stroked her owl's feathers gently and fed her a piece of bacon, giggling softly when Hedwig nipped her fingers. The snowy owl cocked its head to the side, looking at the two people sitting around Jayden.

"Oh! H-Hedwig, these are my friends, H-Hermione and Ron," Jayden said, lifting Hedwig up and placing the owl on her arm. "B-be nice." She extended her arm forward.

"We're saying hi to an owl?" Ron said incredulously.

"She's a v-very smart owl." Jayden defended Hedwig, who seemed to be glaring at Ron.

"Hello Hedwig," Hermione said, looking at Hedwig. She held out a piece of toast, and was delighted at Jayden's smile when Hedwig took it.

"S-she likes you!" Jayden said happily. "And Ron." Hedwig ruffled her feathers and looked balefully at Ron. "Umm… maybe not just yet…"

Suddenly Hedwig stuck out her leg, allowing Jayden to look at it. There was a letter tied to it. Jayden obediently untied the letter and opened it curiously. Who would send her mail?

_Dear Jayden,_ the letter said, in a messy scribble,

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to stop by around three and have a cup of tea? You're welcome to bring a friend. Send an answer back with Hedwig._

_- Hagrid_

Jayden smiled and turned to Hermione, who was looking at her curiously. "Would y-you like to come to Hagrid's w-with me, Hermione?" she asked.

Hermione nodded, a smile on her face at being invited. "Sure," she said.

Digging into her bookbag, Jayden pulled out a quill and some ink and wrote, 'Yes please. See you later,' on the back of the note and gave it to Hedwig, sending her off again with a thank you.

After breakfast, Jayden, Hermione, and Ron left to their first Potions lesson. At the start of term banquet, Jayden had gotten the idea that the Potions master didn't like her, and because of this she walked to class with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She took a peek at her timetable and sighed. Potions lessons took place beneath the castle, in the dungeons. Jayden shivered; it was really cold down there, and she wrapped her cloak around herself tighter.

Snape entered the room once everyone was seated, his cloak billowing behind him dramatically and a scowl on his face. Jayden wondered how on earth he got his cloak to do that when there wasn't so much as a draft, and made a note to see if she could do it. When Professor Snape took roll call, he paused at Jayden's name.

"Jayden Potter, our new celebrity," he said with a sneer.

Jayden shrunk in her desk when Draco and his cronies sniggered into their hands. She didn't like where this was going. Not one bit.

"There will be no wand waving in my class," Snape began, making the room fall silent. "You are here to learn the subtle art of potion making, although I highly doubt that any of you can appreciate the beauty and grace of a well brewed potion." He looked around, his coal black eyes landing on Jayden. She squirmed slightly, but stared back. He continued, "In this class I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death –if you aren't a load of morons as I usually have to teach."

Jayden's eyes lit up. This sounded amazing, and although the teacher was a little scary, she was really interested and was sure that she would enjoy the class.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Jayden bit her lip and glanced over at Hermione, who had her hand raised up high in the air. Hermione looked back at her and smiled at her, making Jayden feel a bit better. She knew the answer, or at least was pretty confident about it after reading her textbooks all summer.

"Y-you would make a power s-sleeping potion. The D-Draught of Living Death," Jayden answered confidently.

Snape looked like he had swallowed a lemon with the sour look on his face. "Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" he asked, hoping to catch her off guard.

"I-in a goat's stomach, sir," Jayden said. She smiled a little and pointed to the supply cabinet. "Or in t-there," she said, hoping to make him smile. The Gryffindor side of the class laughed at this.

Instead of the reaction she was hoping for, Snape looked furious. "Silence!" he ordered. Jayden gulped as the class fell silent. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" he said through gritted teeth.

Jayden frowned. "T-they're the same plant, also c-called aconite, sir," she said quietly.

"Very well," Snape sneered at her, "but ten points from Gryffindor for being a Know-It-All, and for your cheek."

"You can't do that!" a boy, Seamus Finnegan exclaimed. "She got the answers right, it's not fair!"

"Make it fifteen."

Jayden sunk even lower, feeling absolutely miserable. What had she done to deserve this kind of treatment? Should she have gotten the answers wrong? If she had, then she would've been labeled an idiot though. Jayden bit her lip, about ready to cry in frustration.

"Hey."

She perked up a bit at Hermione's whisper. A hand touched her arm soothingly as Hermione scooted closer to her. "H-hi," she whispered back, her voice hoarse with the effort it took not to cry. She felt like jumping up on her desk and yelling at Snape about the injustice of it all.

"Don't cry, Jayden. It's okay," Hermione said quietly. "You were right, I know, I read the textbook during the summer a few times. He just wanted to call you out and you showed him up, that's why he took away those points. Don't cry, okay?"

"'K-kay," Jayden mumbled, feeling a bit better thanks to her friend.

"Potter, Granger, there is to be no talking in my classroom!" Snape said, glaring at them.

"S-sorry, sir!" Jayden squeaked, bowing her head in embarrassment. Snape seemed to be slightly remorseful, which was a complete shock, as he did not dock off more points, but instead set them to work on mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. Jayden and Hermione paired up together, working well and even though Snape swept around the room, criticizing nearly everyone except for Draco Malfoy, he was unable to find anything wrong with their potion.

Suddenly, acrid green smoke and a loud hissing sound filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt his partner Seamus' cauldron, and their bright green potion was seeping across the floor. Just as it was about to touch them, Jayden grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her up onto a stool, saving her from joining the few students who hadn't managed to get away in time and were now moaning in pain and covered in boils.

"T-thanks," Hermione whispered, her eyes wide as she surveyed the damage. "I guess you really are my knight in shining armor."

Snape looked extremely angry as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the mess that used to be a potion. "Evanesco," he snarled, and the potion immediately vanished into thin air. Snape turned to Seamus. "You there, get him the Hospital Wing!" he said angrily. As Seamus helped Neville out of the room, he rounded on Jayden and Hermione, who had climbed off of the stool and were now standing around, wondering what to do.

"And you two, you were working right next to them, why didn't you tell Longbottom not to add the porcupine quills until after the cauldron was removed from the fire? That's another five points from Gryffindor."

"B-but it wasn't our j-job to watch them!" Jayden protested quietly. "I-if we had, our p-potion would've been ruined."

Snape just sneered at her and moved on, ignoring her protest.

An hour later, Jayden exited the dungeons, her spirits low. She had lost twenty points! Twenty! In the first week too! Sure, Seamus had lost five of them, but he had only lost them because he had defended her, so it was technically her fault. Why did Snape hate her so much?

"Hey," Hermione said softly as she caught up to Jayden. "How are you? Don't worry about Professor Snape, you did nothing wrong."

"B-but I lost all those points…" Jayden murmured, hanging her head. "I d-didn't mean to; s-should I have g-gotten the questions wrong? A-and I was only trying to m-make him laugh when I said t-the bezoar thing…"

"Jayden…"

Hermione looked to be contemplating something. Finally, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Jayden's waist, hugging her.

Jayden stiffened, a small squeak of alarm escaping her. She hadn't been expecting Hermione to hug her, but it felt comforting and nice to be held in Hermione's arms.

"It's okay," Hermione said, letting go of her after a minute. "You did absolutely nothing wrong, he just doesn't like you for some reason. Just ignore it; I'm sure it'll get better."

Jayden smiled slightly; her whole body felt tingly from Hermione's hug. "O-okay!" she said, and the two of them made their way to their next class, which was Transfiguration. When they reached the Transfiguration class, Jayden was surprised to see that the teacher wasn't there. And that there was a cat on the desk.

"H-Hermione, look, there's a kitty," she said, nudging her friend. It was a cute tabby cat with yellow eyes and grey and black fur. Jayden thought it looked adorable, and reached out to pet it. She grinned at Hermione when the cat let out a tiny meow before moving away from her.

"I bet it's Professor McGonagall's cat. There's no way she'd let animals in the classroom unless it was her own," Hermione said, smiling. She tugged on Jayden's hand, leading her over to the desks. "Come on, let's sit down before we get in trouble."

"Aww, but Hermione, the k-kitty…" Jayden pouted slightly, but sat down to her friend nonetheless. She squirmed in her seat as the cat looked at her, a calculating look in its eyes. A cat shouldn't have been able to do that, right?

"You can ask Professor McGonagall if you can play with it after class, okay?" Hermione laughed. Jayden blushed and nodded her head, pleased. They talked for a few minutes while the class filled up with students, and then the bell rang. It probably wasn't an actual bell, Jayden mused to herself. Electricity was nowhere to be found in Hogwarts, so it was probably just a spell that made a sound like a bell ringing. It didn't really matter at the moment, anyways.

"I w-wonder where Professor McGonagall is," Jayden said as she looked around. The teacher was still not in the room, and Jayden was getting worried.

Just then the cat on the desk let out a loud meow and jumped off. Within an instant, the cat was no more and Professor McGonagall was standing in its place, a stern look on her face. Jayden's jaw dropped, and a blush rose to her cheeks. Professor McGonagall was the cat that she had been petting!

"Welcome to Transfiguration," Professor McGonagall greeted them. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Hermione's hand was in the air. "Professor, will we learn to transform like you just did?" she asked curiously.

"Not in my classroom," Professor McGonagall responded. "I am what you may call an Animagus, which is a person who can morph him or herself into a specific animal at will. It is a long and very dangerous task to learn. All animagi are to be registered with the Ministry of Magic."

Wow, Jayden thought wondrously. I wonder if she could teach me how to do that. She would love to be able to transform into an animal at will.

After copying down pages upon pages of notes, Professor McGonagall gave each student a match and they were told to try and turn it into a needle. Jayden was confused; what was the purpose of this? The notes they had taken hadn't really explained to her exactly how to transfigure her match. She raised her hand in the air, and the professor walked over.

"Yes, Ms. Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"Umm… I w-was just wondering how e-exactly we're supposed to do this. A-are we supposed to v-visualize it changing, or do we have t-to do something else?" she asked shyly.

Professor McGonagall gave her a look before saying, "You must point your wand at the match and say the spell, all the while trying to morph your match into a needle with your mind. Some people find that visualizing the object changing helps."

"Thanks Professor M-McGonagall," Jayden said, smiling. She pointed her wand at the match and said the spell, doing exactly what the professor had recommended. To her surprise, the match had transfigured into a silver, pointy needle. Next to her, she heard Hermione exclaim in glee as her own match turned into a needle.

By the end of the class, she and Hermione were the only ones to have transfigured their matches. Professor McGonagall gave them each a smile as she inspected their work.

"Well done, you two. Excellent transfiguration skills," the professor said. "Ms. Potter, I apologize if I had caused you any embarrassment earlier on."

"No, no, I'm f-fine," Jayden said, blushing. "I w-was sort of disappointed though, I thought y-you had a cat that I could p-play with, but it's okay."

"Very well then, run along you two. And Potter, there are a few animals running around Hogwarts, you never know what you might find."

The week passed by quickly, and Jayden learned which classes she liked the best. Transfiguration was definitely her favorite, and right after that would have been Charms. Professor Flitwick was a tiny wizard –even tinier than her - but he was a very kind and helpful teacher. Herbology with Professor Sprout was fun. Jayden thought it was like gardening, and she had fun learning about the different plants and fungi. There was also Astronomy, which took place once a week on Wednesday at midnight, where they had to learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planet. Professor Sinistra taught Astronomy, and Jayden liked her for the most part, but thought she was a bit mysterious.

Then there were the classes that weren't as great. Potions was one of them; even though Jayden liked the classes themselves, Professor Snape made it nearly unbearable for her. History of Magic, which she had been looking forward to, turned out to be one of the most boring subjects of all time. Instead of learning anything relatively interesting, all they were taught was the subject of the numerous goblin wars that had happened. Jayden found it hard to believe that they were the only thing of historical relevance in magical history that had happened. History of Magic was taught by Professor Binns, who was the only teacher at Hogwarts that was a ghost, and she had a hard time not falling asleep in his class when he droned on and on in his monotone voice. Finally, there was Defense Against the Dark Arts, taught by Professor Quirrell. Personally, Jayden thought it was a joke. Quirrell stuttered more than she did, and he seemed to be frightened of his own shadow. They didn't really learn much at all in his classes.

On Friday after classes had ended, Jayden and Hermione made their way across the grounds to the small wooden house situated on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. When Jayden knocked, a loud bark was heard. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying "Back, Fang, back!"

Jayden's jaw dropped in horror. F-Fang?! What kind of demon was called Fang?

The door burst open and a large black blur leaped at Jayden, who barely had time to scream before she was pinned down.

"Jayden!" Hermione cried, hearing Jayden's scream.

Jayden waved her arm, pushing the hairy beast off of her. She giggled at Hermione's horrified expression. "I-I'm okay, Hermione, really. J-just surprised." She wiped her face off, disgusted. "Eww… doggie s-slobber…"

"S'ry 'bout that, Jayden." Hagrid came out of the house and grabbed Fang's collar, dragging him back into the hut. "He's a big fan o' visitors." He patted the big boarhound's head affectionately as he ushered the two girls in.

Jayden let out a soft giggle as she tugged Hermione inside the house. "I-it's alright, Hagrid, I d-don't mind. I l-like dogs." Frowning when Hermione remained unresponsive, she nudged her.

"Hermione, you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"You screamed…" Hermione said, her eyes wide with fear. "You g-got hurt…"

"Hermione, I'm alright, really," Jayden reassured her. She leaned forward and buried her head under Hermione's chin, sighing happily. "See? I'm okay."

Hermione snapped out of her stupor and blushed, cradling Jayden's head against her. "You're sure?"

"P-positive."

"Good." The bushy-haired girl let her hands fall to her sides, but to her surprise Jayden stayed where she was. She then proceeded to check her friend over, making sure that absolutely no harm had come to her.

"So, yeh two are close?" Hagrid said as he boiled some water for tea.

Jayden nodded. "H-Hermione's my best friend," she said proudly. Hermione beamed at her, making her smile in response. "W-we met on the train a-and hit it off. S-she's really nice and smart, and r-really protective of me," she told Hagrid.

The large man grinned at Hermione. "Now yeh take care o' her, got it?" he warned. "She's special, and she's sort o' tiny, so she's gonna have a tough time, 'specially with bein' famous."

"Not tiny," Jayden grumbled.

"Yes sir!" Hermione said seriously. Hagrid nodded his head in acceptance and poured out some tea, giving them each a cup and a rock cake. "Now, tell me 'bout yer lessons so far."

The rock cakes nearly broke their teeth, but Jayden and Hermione pretended to enjoy them as they told Hagrid all about their lessons.

"Professor S-Snape hates me," Jayden said.

Hagrid waved it off. "Don' worry 'bout it, Jayden, he hates all his students. 'Cept the Slytherins, o' course."

"But he really s-seems to hate me. H-he took twenty points o-off because I answered his questions right."

"I wouldn't take 'ny 'fense to it. Snape hates Gryffindors in general," Hagrid said.

Jayden nodded slightly, looking around the room. Her gaze fell to a cutting from the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper. Her eyes widened; there had been a break-in at Gringotts in the same vault that she and Hagrid had stopped at before!

"H-Hagrid, the break-in happened on my b-birthday!" she exclaimed. "Maybe while we were there!"

"Don' know what yer talkin' 'bout, Jayden," Hagrid said, not meeting her eyes. "'nother rock cake?"

It was then that Jayden knew for sure; Hagrid knew what she was talking about, he just didn't want to say anything. But why?

After leaving Hagrid's house a few hours later, Jayden and Hermione made their way back to the dormitory. It was empty. Parvati and Lavender must have still been out.

"Jayden?"

Jayden spat out her toothpaste and looked up, seeing Hermione's reflection in the mirror. She rinsed out her mouth and turned to face her friend.

"Mhmm?"

"Do you remember what happened at the feast?" Hermione asked gently. "When your head hurt?"

"O-oh, that." Jayden bit her lip, contemplating whether or not she should tell Hermione what had happened. Probably not, she decided. She didn't want Hermione to think she was some kind of freak, after all.

"N-nothing happened. I j-just had a headache," she said.

"You're sure? You'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?" Hermione pressed.

Jayden smiled and nodded, even as she felt the guilt gnawing at her. "Y-yeah…"

* * *

A.N.: Another chapter completed! I think this one might be the longest one yet, if only by a few hundred words. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I'll try for some time in the next week or two. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, and reviews are always nice! If you have a question as well, don't hesitate to ask.

One thing that bugs me greatly; authors that can't spell the characters names right. It's just painful to read Voldermort, Hary, Hermoine, McGonigal, Dumledoor, etc. If you can't even spell the names right, don't bother writing about it. Also, when making a story, make sure to reread it before posting, and when creating a story summary, make sure NOTHING is spelled wrong. There's nothing worse than seeing a horribly written summary, it just warns people not to read the story. Please remember people, spellcheck is your friend!


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: Wow, two weeks already and I'm only updating now. But it is out within the promised time! I wound up dropping Chemistry 30 because my teacher hasn't taught me anything, and makes me pay a quarter to go to the bathroom or get a drink, so I now have more free time to write. Also, I can write while I'm in my Creative Writing 20 class and not get in trouble like I do in all my other classes! Yay!

Also, I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me how exactly basketball, dating, and musical chairs relates to chemistry in any way, shape, or form, because honestly, I have no idea and this makes me feel incompetent….

RopedMeASparrow: I'm glad to have made you laugh with my Author's Note! I think Hermione and Jayden's relationship is going great so far, although I've been having some trouble with a few minor plot bunnies. Yes, it's definitely cute how Hermione is so protective; even if she is technically the damsel in this story, you could call her Jayden's own skirt wearing knight!

DukeBrymin: Sorry about the confusion, I was running on caffeine and sugar at the time, and I guess I made a minor error since originally, that scene had not been in the rough copy of the story. As for Ginny, you'll be hearing from her in a few chapters or so. I highly doubt you'll get your Jayden/Hermione/Ginny relationship, but the idea is interesting. Maybe a separate oneshot sometime…. Hmm, now you've got me thinking, darn you!

This story is dedicated to my faithful reviewers DukeBrymin and Riles Patrick Murphy because I'm pretty sure they've reviewed every single chapter so far. Thanks guys! I always look forward to reading your reviews!

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. And now, after that very long Author's Note, here is the fifth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_"Do you remember what happened at the feast?" Hermione asked gently. "When your head hurt?"_

_"O-oh, that." Jayden bit her lip, contemplating whether or not she should tell Hermione what had happened. Probably not, she decided. She didn't want Hermione to think she was some kind of freak, after all._

_"N-nothing happened. I j-just had a headache," she said._

_"You're sure? You'd tell me if there was something wrong, right?" Hermione pressed._

_Jayden smiled and nodded, even as she felt the guilt gnawing at her. "Y-yeah…"_

* * *

Jayden smiled to herself in amusement as she watched Hermione pace back and forth in front of her, nearly hyperventilating from anxiety.

"I don't want to do it; they can't make me do it! I refuse!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. She and Hermione had been making their way to the Great Hall for breakfast when Hermione had suddenly frozen up in front of the notice board in the Gryffindor common room. It had said that there were to be mandatory flying lessons with the Slytherins starting on Thursday, and today was Thursday. From what Jayden had gathered during the ten minutes of pacing, growling, and ranting that Hermione had done, her friend was afraid of heights.

"I-it won't be that bad, H-Hermione," Jayden said, holding back a giggle as Hermione began waving her arms around. "I-it's not like you're going to f-fall-"

"No! Shush! Stop talking! You'll jinx me!" Hermione shushed her.

"Y-you're just paranoid," Jayden snickered, a full blown grin on her face.

After a quick breakfast, the two girls joined a group of Gryffindor first years that were making their way across the grounds to the Quidditch pitch. Numerous broomsticks were lying in neat lines on the ground, and Jayden saw Hermione eye them in fear.

"Y-you can't learn this in a book, huh," Jayden said softly. Hermione stiffened, and Jayden knew that she had it the nail on the head.

"Hermione, i-it's okay to be afraid of h-heights, but you have to learn this some time, a-and books will only get you so f-far," she said. She reached out, tentatively taking Hermione's hand in hers, and led her over to the brooms.

"I-I don't think I can do this," Hermione said urgently. Her hand trembled in Jayden's grip.

"Yes you can, you j-just have to believe you can," Jayden said firmly. She squeezed Hermione's hand, wanting to make her friend feel better.

"Oh, lookie here, the mudblood can't fly," a voice sneered. It was Malfoy, and behind him were his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Jayden had never disliked anyone as much as she disliked Malfoy at the moment, not even Dudley! She guessed that it was because Dudley had only been insulting her, whereas Malfoy was insulting Hermione, which was not allowed in her books.

"S-shut it, Malfoy!" she exclaimed, stepping in front of Hermione. She raised her wand, daring him to try. Although she looked calm and collected on the outside, Jayden was shaking like a leaf on the inside and prayed fervently that the boy wouldn't come any closer.

"What have we here? It's Saint Potter defending the mudblood," Malfoy said, stepping closer.

Jayden clenched her fists. How dare he!

"G-get lost, M-Malfoy!" she hissed angrily.

"O-or w-what? Y-you're going t-t-to make m-me?" Malfoy stuttered, imitating her. His friends laughed, making Jayden bite her lip hard as tears stung her eyes. It wasn't her fault she stuttered!

"Go away, Malfoy. Just leave us alone," Hermione said, moving out from behind Jayden. "We've done nothing wrong, so why don't you just bugger off."

Malfoy's face turned pink. "Why you -"

"Mr. Malfoy, get back to your broom and stay there!" The flying instructor had finally arrived. She had short grey hair and sharp yellow eyes that reminded Jayden of a hawk's eyes.

I didn't know it was possible to have yellow eyes, Jayden thought when she saw them. Maybe she was wearing contacts?

Malfoy sneered at them one more time before swaggering off to his place with the Slytherins.

"My name is Madam Hooch, and today you will be learning how to ride a broomstick," the teacher said. "Everyone stand by your broom and stick your right hand over it."

Jayden looked at her broom as she did what she had been instructed to do. It was old and twigs were sticking out at odd angles. Was this thing really supposed to hold her weight?

"Everyone's done it?" Hooch asked, looking around. "Yes? Good. Now say, 'up!'"

"Up!" everyone shouted.

Jayden's hand stung slightly as the broom jumped up into her hand. She looked around; apparently hers was one of the only ones to do so. Glancing over at her friend, she saw that Hermione's broom had only managed to roll over.

"H-Hermione," she whispered softly. The girl looked up, and Jayden could see the frustration building inside her.

"How'd you do it, Jayden? It's not working for me," Hermione huffed. "See? Up!"

The broom didn't so much as twitch.

Jayden giggled softly, moving behind Hermione and placing her hand on Hermione's. "Y-you have to be forceful and b-believe that it'll move into your hand," she explained. "I d-don't think you really believe t-that it'll move. Watch, okay? Up!"

The broom jumped into Hermione's hand.

Smiling, Jayden moved back to her own broom. "Try it now by yourself."

"Okay." Hermione stuck her hand out and said, "Up!" in a firm voice.

The broom hovered in the air for a second before rising up into Hermione's hand. The girl grinned at Jayden in triumph.

"I did it!" she exclaimed happily.

"I knew you could," Jayden said, feeling tingly from Hermione's smile.

At this time, Madam Hooch showed everyone how to mount their broom properly without falling off. Once she had determined that everyone was adjusted, she said, "When I blow my whistle, kick off the ground hard. Rise a few feet and then lean forward to come back down. Take off in three, two –"

Jayden gasped as Neville pushed off hard before the whistle blew and shot off like a bullet. Neville, his face pale and with a scared look, shrieked when he started to slip off the broom.

"Hold on, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, but it was too late. Neville slid off the end of the broom and fell to the ground. A nasty crack could be heard as he landed hard with a loud thud. Madam Hooch rushed over to him and checked him over.

"Broken wrist," Jayden heard her mutter. She winced in sympathy. Poor Neville…

Madam Hooch helped Neville up and turned to the rest of the class. "None of you even think of touching those brooms while I'm gone. You try and I'll have you expelled before you can say 'Quidditch'." She wrapped her arm around Neville and helped escort him to the castle.

As soon as they were out of sight Malfoy burst into laughter.

"What an idiot! Did you see his face?"

The other Slytherins quickly joined in.

"S-shut up, Malfoy!" Jayden angrily snapped at him. Neville was a nice boy, and didn't deserve to be made fun of.

"Make me, Potter!" Malfoy jeered. He bent down and snatched something off the ground; it was a clear glass orb. Jayden identified it as the Remembrall that Neville had showed her at breakfast.

"Look!" he shouted gleefully. "It's the stupid thing Longbottom got from his dear ol' gran!"

Jayden clenched her fists and stepped forward. She wasn't about to let Malfoy take something that wasn't his. "G-give it here, Malfoy," she said quietly.

"O-or w-what, P-Potter?" Malfoy mocked her. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to get later, say, up on the roof?"

"Hand it over!" Jayden yelled. Malfoy just smiled nastily and leapt on his broomstick, taking off into the air. "C-come and g-get it, P-Potter!"

Jayden growled and grabbed her broom. She mounted it, but before she could kick off, a hand grabbed hers. Hermione's worried face came into view.

"Don't Jayden, you'll get in trouble if you do this!" she hissed urgently. "You've never flown before –you could get hurt!"

"B-but Hermione, I –" Jayden trembled as she realized what she had been about to do. "I-I… I have to g-get it back, Neville's c-counting on me!"

"You're terrified," Hermione countered. "Your hands are shaking. Just let Madam Hooch take care of it when she gets back."

"O-okay…" Jayden said softly. She let Hermione gently pry her hands from the broom and glared up at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked triumphantly. "Coward! You're going to listen to the mudblood, aren't you! You're nothing but a fraud, Potter! I bet your parents would be ashamed right about now!"

Something inside of Jayden snapped. With a growl of anger she charged forward, grabbing her broom from Hermione's hands and taking off into the air, ignoring Hermione's cries to come down. Air rushed through her hair and her robes whipped around her. A rush of joy soared through her as she flew higher. This was amazing! She was actually flying!

Jayden couldn't contain the loud whoop of joy that escaped her as she urged her broom up higher and higher. She grinned to herself as she heard screams and gasps from the people on the ground.

Spinning the broomstick sharply she turned to face Malfoy, who floated stationary in mid-air, a stunned look on his face.

"H-hand it over, Malfoy!" she called to him. As a threat she added, "or –or I'll knock you off your broom!"

"Yeah right, a tiny little girl like you? Don't make me laugh!" Malfoy said, but he looked worried.

Jayden grinned savagely, a strange thing for her. Doubt her, would he? She'd show him! Jayden shot forward like an arrow, aiming at Malfoy. The blond haired boy barely got out of the way in time.

"C-come on Malfoy, y-you scared of a girl now?" Jayden taunted him. "There's no C-Crabbe and Goyle up here to protect you, what're y-you going to do now?"

Malfoy sneered at her, gripping the Remembrall tight in his fist. He wound up, and Jayden had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Catch it if you can, Potter!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball straight at the castle wall and streaked back towards the ground.

Oh no, Jayden thought frantically as she watched the ball whiz through the air. She leaned forward and pointed her broom down, gathering speed in a steep dive, racing to grab the orb before it hit the wall.

Come on, come on, Jayden urged the broom as she neared the wall. She reached out, stretching her hand as far as it could go –yes! She clutched the ball to her chest and cheered silently. She caught it! And with a few meters to –uh oh. Jayden squeaked in horror, jerking the broom handle straight up, just in time to avoid becoming a splat on the wall.

Yanking hard, she forced the broom back more until she was perpendicular to the wall. Meaning, she was flying upside down with only one hand on the handle. Jayden let out a loud scream, trying not to pass out in sheer terror as the world shifted and she felt herself suspended for a second in mid-air, her legs the only things keeping her from plummeting to the ground below. She pulled the handle up more and straightened out, heading towards the ground while feeling extremely shaken up.

As soon as her feet touched land, she was pulled into a fierce hug by Hermione, who had a petrified look on her face. The broom slipped from her fingers, falling to the ground.

"Y-you stupid –STUPID- idiot! D-don't you ever do that again! Ever! You hear me?!" Hermione yelled, burying her head in Jayden's hair. "You c-could've fallen off and killed yourself!"

Jayden patted Hermione's back awkwardly. "I'm okay Hermione, I swear. I-I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well you should've thought about that before you g-grabbed a broom, nearly crashed into a concrete wall, and f-flew upside down with only one hand!" Hermione shouted angrily.

Jayden cringed.

Hermione noticed the cringe and softened her tone. "I'm just worried, Jayden, I'm sorry." She hugged Jayden closer to herself. "You're absolutely sure that you're fine?"

"Not a sc-scratch on me," Jayden confirmed, relieved that Hermione was no longer shouting at her. "I'm –"

"JAYDEN POTTER!"

"- f-fine," Jayden squeaked. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her body as she saw Professor McGonagall running towards them, a fierce look on her face. She trembled in Hermione's arms. Oh god, what had she done?

"Never –in all my time at Hogwarts –"

Jayden flinched as McGonagall glared at her furiously.

"- how dare you –you could have broken your neck and died!"

"Professor, it wasn't her fault!" Hermione defended her friend. "It was Malfoy –"

"Be quiet Ms. Granger-"

"But she was only –"

"Enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me. Now."

Jayden shivered in fear as she let go of Hermione. She looked around; most faces looked sympathetic, but Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of the Slytherins had huge smirks on their faces as they looked at her triumphantly. Her mind whirled with all sorts of thoughts: she was going to be suspended, or expelled, forced to go back to the… the Dursleys! Oh god, no…

Jayden quickly wiped her eyes, glad that Professor McGonagall hadn't looked at her yet. They walked down many corridors and passed numerous doors until they finally stopped in front of one. This is it, Jayden thought miserably. I'm going to see Professor Dumbledore and he's going to expel me.

Professor McGonagall knocked on the door. A tiny man –Professor Flitwick- opened it, smiling cheerfully.

"Good afternoon Minerva, Ms. Potter," he said. Jayden gave him a weak smile.

"Good afternoon to you too, Filius. May I borrow Wood for a moment?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Jayden's eyes widened in fear; they were going to beat her?! Why??

As they waited for whatever Wood was, Professor McGonagall looked at Jayden and seemed to be startled to see that she was trembling.

"Are you alright, Potter?" she asked, not unkindly.

Jayden quivered, staring at the floor with interest. "N-no. Y-you're going to h-hit me," she mumbled under her breath.

Professor McGonagall looked at her sharply. Jayden was surprised that the woman was able to hear her.

"Hit you? Heavens no, child, whatever gave you that idea?" Her eyes narrowed, making Jayden recoil.

"N-nowhere," she said quickly.

A boy with dark curly hair and a confused look on his face peeked his head out, unknowingly saving Jayden from an interrogation. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.

"Ah, Wood. Come with me, please."

Professor McGonagall beckoned both teens to follow her, and they made their way down another corridor. They stopped outside a room and McGonagall led them inside.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. He's in his fifth year of Hogwarts," McGonagall introduced them.

Wood was a person? Jayden sighed in relief, her fears abating somewhat. She wasn't going to get hurt, and she guessed that she wasn't going to be expelled either, seeing as Professor McGonagall had brought her to see this Oliver Wood guy instead of the Headmaster.

"H-hi," Jayden said meekly. "I-I'm Jayden Potter, it's a p-pleasure to meet you."

Professor McGonagall smiled, a mere twitch of the lips than a smile, but it still made Jayden feel better.

"Potter here is going to be our new Seeker," the teacher said.

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to disbelief. "Are you serious, Professor? She's a bit scrawny to be playing Quidditch," he said.

"I'm sure," Professor McGonagall said curtly. "She's a natural. She did something that I don't think even Charlie Weasley could have done. Was this your first time on a broom, Potter?"

Jayden nodded timidly. "Y-yes, Professor."

"Show Wood what you caught, would you, Potter?"

She fumbled around in her pocket before pulling out Neville's Remembrall.

"See this, Wood? She caught this after a fifty-foot dive and about a meter away from the castle wall. Doesn't even have a scratch on her," McGonagall said. Jayden swore she could hear a tinge of pride in her voice.

Wood gaped at Jayden, who shifted uncomfortably. "This little girl did all that?"

Jayden twitched. She stepped back to look up into Wood's eyes and gave him a harsh glare. "Don't. C-call. Me. Little!"

Wood held his hands up in defense. "Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that."

Professor McGonagall looked on with thinly veiled amusement. "Have you ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?"

Shaking her head, Jayden bit her bottom lip as she figured out what McGonagall's plan was. "I –no… I'm n-not sure if I really want to play, P-Professor," she whispered. "I'm not really g-good at sports, a-and I don't like competing."

Wood's face fell like he had just been told that his broomstick had been snapped in half. "But we need you, Potter!" he implored. "We haven't won a game since Charlie Weasley left, and that was years ago!"

"I d-don't even have a b-broom though!" Jayden scrambled to find an excuse, any excuse for her to not have to play.

"I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first year rule, as well as get you a broom," Professor McGonagall said. "A Cleansweep, or maybe a Nimbus. We could really use you on the team, Potter. Gryffindor was flattened in the last match with Slytherin; I couldn't look Severus in the face for weeks after that."

Jayden sighed, nodding her head in defeat. There didn't seem to be any way to avoid having to play the sport, or at least, not one that she could think of.

"Excellent." Professor McGonagall looked at her sternly. "I want to hear that you're training hard, or I might change my mind about punishing you. Understand?"

Gulping hard, Jayden nodded again.

Professor McGonagall gave Jayden a small, miniscule smile. "Your father would have been proud of you," she said, patting Jayden's shoulder. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself. Seeker, in fact."

Jayden tensed up at the touch, forcing herself not to flinch. Uh oh, she thought when she saw Professor McGonagall narrow her eyes.

"Wood, you can head back to class now," McGonagall said, nodding to him. Wood left after saying goodbye and telling Jayden that he would see her later for training once she had gotten her broom.

McGonagall turned to Jayden, who cringed. "Potter, is there anything that you would like to tell me?"

"N-n-no!"

"Anything at all?" she pressed. "I am your Head of House, after all. You can talk to me if you wish."

Jayden bit her lip and shook her head no.

Professor McGonagall looked at her for a few minutes. "Alright then," she said at last. "One last thing though. Are the muggles taking care of you properly? You seem to be a bit shy around others."

"Y-yes!" Jayden cleared her throat quickly, trying not to retch. "T-the Dursleys are great, r-really!" She rubbed her arm self-consciously, glad that there were no longer any bruises that could be found.

"You're absolutely certain? You can tell me whatever you wish, Jayden, and it will be kept strictly in my confidence," McGonagall said kindly.

Jayden fidgeted with her fingers and looked down. "T-thank you, but no thank y-you, ma'am," she whispered. "May I go?"

McGonagall stared at her hard for a second before nodding, and after saying goodbye Jayden took off as fast as her feet could carry her, racing down corridors and running down numerous flights of stairs until she got to the main entrance of the castle. She swerved around milling students as she ran down the steps and across the castle grounds, until she finally collapsed next to the large oak tree by the lake.

"S-she knows, she knows, I kn-know she does," Jayden whispered, tears leaking from her eyes as she hugged herself. What could she do now? The professor no doubt knew about the Dursleys, or at least strongly suspected something judging from the multiple questions that she had asked. What would happen to her now? Would the Dursleys find out and come take her away? She shuddered, crying harder. She would rather die than go back to them, and if they found out that someone thought they were hurting her…

"Jaaaydeen! Where are you?"

Jayden's head shot up; that was Hermione's voice! She hurriedly scrubbed her face clean on her robes and sunk back against the tree, feigning sleep. If she was lucky, Hermione wouldn't notice that she had been crying.

"Jayden! Jaaydeen! Are you out – oh…"

Jayden smiled inwardly as Hermione bent down beside her and shook her gently. She moaned softly, not wanting to open her eyes.

"Hey Jayden, come on hon, wake up," Hermione whispered softly.

Jayden grumbled and turned over to roll towards Hermione's voice, but because she hadn't opened her eyes, she accidentally leaned too far and began to fall sideways. Hermione gasped and quickly positioned herself so that Jayden's head would land on her lap.

"Jayden, you need to get up…"

"Mmm… don' wanna…" Jayden sighed. She could feel herself begin to blush as Hermione's finger began to trace over her scar. She was actually starting to feel sleepy from the gentle touch; pretty soon she wouldn't just be pretending to be asleep.

"Jay, come on, get up," Hermione murmured. "Please? You can sleep once we get back to the dorm."

Jayden yawned and opened her eyes slowly as she stretched her arms out. The first thing she saw was two chocolate brown eyes watching her happily. She gasped softly; she hadn't expected Hermione's head to be that close to hers. Actually, how on earth did Hermione know where she was, anyways? "H-how did – where – wha -?"

Hermione giggled. "You fell asleep. I took a guess and figured that you would come out here to think, so I came to look for you," she said, smiling. She shifted, reminding Jayden of their rather intimate position.

Blushing hard, Jayden hurriedly rolled off of Hermione's lap, hitting the ground with a thump. "S-sorry!" she exclaimed. She rubbed the back of her head where it had hit the ground.

"It's okay, I didn't mind," Hermione assured her. "Is your head alright?"

"Y-yeah," Jayden said, nodding.

"Good. Now," the girl's face turned serious, "what did Professor McGonagall say to you? Are you being expelled? Is that why you were crying?"

"C-crying?" Jayden touched her cheeks. They weren't damp at all. She looked at Hermione, confused as to how she had noticed.

"Your eyes are red," Hermione said softly. "Don't think I wouldn't notice. But that's not the point. What did she say to you?"

"I-I haven't been expelled, or e-even punished," Jayden said quietly. "B-but I'm the new Gryffindor Seeker s-starting today. Not that I w-want to be, but I didn't have much of a ch-choice…"

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Jayden, I've read about Quidditch; it can be really dangerous at times. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Jayden sighed and shook her head no. "It was either this or be punished."

"Well… be careful then, okay? I'll come watch you play and cheer you on," Hermione said, smiling once more. "I can be your very own cheerleader."

"O-okay," Jayden nodded, giggling to herself. She adjusted her glasses and peered around. "It's really nice and q-quiet here. There's no one around."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. "But right now, we need to get going or we'll be late for supper. After that you can go to sleep, but not before you tell me why you were crying earlier." She gave Jayden a stern look, reminding the smaller girl of Professor McGonagall for a second.

"I was j-just overwhelmed, that's all," Jayden said faintly. "With P-Professor Snape, Malfoy, worrying about b-being expelled, and then b-being told that I'm the new Seeker, it was a b-bit too much for me to take all at o-once." That wasn't stretching the truth that far, she just was cutting a big reason out. But it was okay, right? Hermione would only worry if Jayden told her what was going on.

Hermione nodded in acceptance and gave Jayden a tender look. "You're okay now though, right?"

"Yeah."

Jayden smiled shyly and took Hermione's hand in hers, cuddling up to the taller girl. "S-shall we go?"

"Sure. Let's go get you fed. Then you can sleep." Hermione squeezed Jayden's hand gently, and the two began making their way back to the castle.

* * *

A.N.: There are so many plot bunnies bouncing around in my head right now that it isn't even funny. Should Hermione find out about Jayden being abused this book or next? Should I have them get together now or when they're older? How will I have Ginny and Hermione interact when they meet? Am I moving their relationship too fast? And what about McGonagall? There are so many questions it's driving me insane!

If any of you bother to read the Author's Notes, I'd really appreciate some feedback and ideas. I may not use them, but fresh ideas never hurt anyone. The next chapter should be out in one to two weeks. I hope to read some reviews soon!


	7. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: Be amazed people, I'm updating a week early! Of course, this is only happening because of some unfortunate circumstances, so don't expect it to happen again any time soon. Basically, I got a day off of school because some jerk decided to start a fire, and then I got sick, so more days off for me to finish writing this chapter. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the school was closed down for the day. The police and firefighters have ruled it to be arson, and are thinking that it's the same person who has been starting all of the fires that happened on the same day.

Anyhow, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter! I had definitely not expected so many reviews answering my questions. I won't say whose ideas I'm going to use, but you've all definitely helped me out with the plot. Normally I would go through the reviews and type up some comments, but then the Author's Note would be way too long for my liking. So once again, thanks to all of the people who left me reviews!

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. And now, here is the sixth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_"I was j-just overwhelmed, that's all," Jayden said faintly. "With P-Professor Snape, Malfoy, worrying about b-being expelled, and then b-being told that I'm the new Seeker, it was a b-bit too much for me to take all at o-once."_

_Hermione nodded in acceptance and gave Jayden a tender look. "You're okay now though, right?"_

_"Yeah." _

_Jayden smiled shyly and took Hermione's hand in hers, cuddling up to the taller girl. "S-shall we go?"_

_"Sure. Let's go get you fed. Then you can sleep." Hermione squeezed Jayden's hand gently, and the two began making their way back to the castle._

_

* * *

_

"H-Hermione, I really can't eat another bite!" Jayden groaned, patting her tummy gently. "I'm stuffed!" She giggled as Hermione poked her stomach. "Quit it!"

"You're too skinny," Hermione protested. "You need to eat more."

"No."

"Yes!"

"Nope."

"Yes!"

"Honestly, you two are like an old married couple," Parvati commented as she helped herself to more mashed potatoes.

Jayden turned red.

"O-oh?"

"Mhmm, you act like my parents, and they're like, four times as old as you guys," Lavender said. "They're always like, 'dear, you should get out some more, you're looking a bit pale', and 'honey, you're looking a bit peckish. Would you like another helping of roast beef?'"

Jayden could feel her cheeks heating up even more. She glanced over at Hermione; she was blushing as well. Jayden was about to protest, but someone spoke up before she could.

"So, what happened when McGonagall took you away?" Ron interrupted as he sat down beside Jayden.

Jayden scooted closer to Hermione, a tiny frown on her face at being interrupted. "I c-can't tell you, Ron. P-Professor McGonagall said it was a secret."

"Bet Hermione knows," Ron said sullenly.

"W-well yes, she's my best friend," Jayden said. She smiled as Hermione hugged her.

"But I'm your friend too, right? Why can't you tell me too?" Ron pressed. Jayden winced; she liked Ron, yes, but definitely not as much as Hermione. She didn't want to hurt his feelings though…

"We're her friends too, but she hasn't told us either, Ron. She'll tell us if she wants to," Lavender said. She smiled at Jayden, who mouthed 'thank you' to her.

Just then Fred and George Weasley entered the hall, distracting Jayden from the conversation as she spotted their bright red hair. They spotted her and waved, walking over to where Jayden was sitting.

"Congrats, Jayden. Wood told us all about it," Fred –or George- said. Jayden sighed mentally.

"T-thanks guys," she muttered, looking balefully at them. "Big s-secret, that it was. It lasted a-all of t-three hours or so."

The twins looked abashed. "Sorry Jayden," they said sheepishly.

Jayden sighed and waved them off. "S'okay," she said softly. The twins apologized once more before heading out of the Great Hall.

"You're on the team?" Ron exclaimed in awe. "You must be the youngest player in about –"

"A century," Jayden finished miserably. "I'm the new Seeker, but d-don't tell anyone, it was s-supposed to be a secret."

"We won't say a word," Parvati promised. Lavender nodded in agreement.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Having a last meal, Potter?" Malfoy appeared in front of Jayden, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"You're a l-lot braver now that y-you're on the ground with you b-bodyguards," Jayden said, glaring at him. She shivered in fear when Crabbe and Goyle scowled at her and cracked their knuckles.

"Are you two going to hit a girl?" Hermione questioned them. They hesitated, looking at Malfoy for guidance.

Malfoy sneered at her. "No, but we are going to duel, got it Potter? Wizard's duel, no contact allowed."

"A W-Wizard's duel?" Jayden asked curiously.

"What, never heard of a Wizard's duel before, Potter?" Malfoy said, looking down at her.

"Actually, n-"

"Of course she has," Ron said before Jayden could answer. "I'm her second, who's yours?"

"Crabbe," Malfoy answered after sizing the two up. "Midnight tonight in the trophy room. Got it, Potter?"

"We got it," Ron said, glaring at him.

After Malfoy left, Jayden let out a strangled sound and looked at Ron in sheer horror. "W-what on earth d-did you sign m-me up for, Ron?!"

"A Wizard's duel, where you use wands to battle each other," Ron said, helping himself to some more shepherd's pie.

"A-and a s-second?" Jayden was growing more horrified every second that passed.

"Well, a second's there to take over for you if you die," Ron said, too casually for Jayden's taste.

"D-die?!"

The tiny Gryffindor felt extremely nauseous at this, and had to suppress the urge to faint, or throw up. Oh god, she was going to die! She didn't even know any offensive spells yet! What on earth had she done to Ron to make him sign her up for this?

"You signed her up for a duel to the death! What is wrong with you, Ron?"  
Hermione exploded angrily. "She could get hurt really bad thanks to you!"

"It's not like it's going to be a proper duel," Ron said defensively. "The most they can do is send sparks at each other."

"So what? You still signed her up for it without asking!" Hermione raged. A gentle touch on the back of her hand quieted her. "Jayden?"

"I-I'll do it," Jayden whispered. "I'll d-due Malfoy."

"But Jayd-"

Jayden shook her head quickly. "I c-can't always be hiding behind you, Hermione. I c-can't always be a c-coward," she said quietly. She had thought about it for a minute while Ron and Hermione had been arguing and had come to a conclusion. She had to do this, no matter how much she didn't want to, to prove that she could be brave.

"Jayden…"

Jayden gave Hermione a timid smile and stood up. "I'll see you later, o-okay?"

"B-but -"

"D-don't worry, alright? Bye, Hermione." Jayden flushed darkly, leaning down to give Hermione a soft kiss on the cheek before scurrying away. God, she thought as she touched her tingling lips. That was intense!

The rest of the day flew by quickly, with Jayden burying herself in numerous spellbooks in her dorm until it was time to go. At half past eleven, Jayden quietly snuck out of bed and made her way down to the Common Room where Ron was waiting for her.

"You ready, Jayden?" he asked eagerly. Jayden miserably nodded her head.

"Y-yeah…"

The two had nearly made it to the portrait hole when a voice spoke up from the stairs leading to the dorms. "I can't believe you're going through with this, Jayden."

"H-Hermione…" Jayden whispered, blushing as she saw that Hermione was clad in only a small, light blue tank top and pajama shorts. She found that she was unable to pry her eyes away. "U-umm… uhh… I-I…" It was as if her brain had shut down, leaving nothing but a stammering, gaping idiot.

"You!" Ron exclaimed furiously. "Go back to bed already, this is important!"

"Shut it, Ron!" Hermione snapped. "I nearly told your brother, Percy –he's a Prefect, he'd put a stop to this!"

"Go back to b-bed, Hermione," Jayden murmured softly, looking at her friend. "I'll see y-you in the morning."

"No! I'm coming with you!" Hermione insisted. "There's no way I'm leaving you alone with Malfoy. Or Ron," she growled under her breath.

Jayden blushed hard when she heard that, but kept quiet. She wasn't sure if Hermione had meant for her to hear that or not.

"Go away," Ron said. He glared at Hermione.

"No," Hermione said, glaring back at him. She turned to Jayden, looking at her pleadingly. "Think of how much trouble you'll be in if you get caught, Jayden. You could get hurt, or killed, or worse, expelled!" she implored Jayden. "Just forget this and come back to bed, please. We can just sit and talk if you want, just don't do this. It's dangerous!"

"I c-can't," Jayden said helplessly. "I have to d-do this Hermione, I c-can't just back down now. D-don't you see? I need to do this to b-be Gryffindor material, to be b-brave." And to be able to protect you, she thought to herself. She wasn't much of a protector yet, but that would change if she could just stand up for herself.

The bushy haired girl threw her arms up in defeat. "Fine, but I'm going with you," she said. "For moral support and all that."

"No, you're not," Ron said.

"It's either I come with you two or I go tell your brother what you're doing," Hermione retorted.

Jayden smiled as Ron huffed in defeat, and she snuggled up to Hermione's side happily. She grinned when the bigger girl wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Are you sure?" she asked softly. "Y-you can still go back to sleep."

"I'm sure," Hermione said firmly. "And just to let you know, you're one of the bravest people I know. You don't need to beat up on Malfoy to prove that to me."

Blushing, Jayden nodded, and the trio made their way out of the Common Room. They were about halfway to the trophy room when Jayden froze up, making Hermione bump into her.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Jayden put a finger to her lips, pointing further down the hall. "It's F-Filch," she whispered.

"Oh no," gasped Ron. Jayden shushed him and led her friends the opposite way until she was certain that Filch wouldn't come near them.

The small girl frowned, mulling over what had just happened. Eventually she came to a decision. "Let's go back."

"What? Why?" Ron demanded. "We can get past Filch."

Shaking her head, Jayden explained, "I j-just thought of it; Malfoy w-wouldn't want to get in any t-trouble just because of me. This has to b-be a trick; there's no way he'd r-really show up. I bet he told Filch that t-there would be students near the trophy room, and t-that's why Filch was down there."

"No way, he wouldn't chicken out. He's a Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione shushed him, a tiny smile tugging at her lips as she urged Jayden to continue.

"No, really Ron. It's more h-his style to just t-trick up and tell a teacher we were out of b-bed. He's s-sneaky, this is definitely something that he'd do," Jayden insisted. She tugged Hermione's hand, leading her back towards their Common Room. "This is s-stupid, I'm going back to bed."

"I'm glad you finally realized that," Hermione said, beaming at her. Jayden ducked her head shyly.

"I just thought of it when we saw Filch," Jayden said, sighing happily as Hermione's arm looped around her waist. She leaned into the touch. "I probably would've done it though, if not for you."

"Hey, you didn't stutter that time," Hermione said gleefully.

"I-I didn't?"

Hermione giggled. "Nevermind then."

"Hey, wait up!" Ron said, running after them. "Where are you two going?"

"B-back to sleep, since this is o-obviously a trick," Jayden said.

"B-but –"

"Forget it, Ron," she said. Ron grumbled, but they continued down the hallway and up numerous flights of stairs until they reached the portrait that hid the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. It was empty.

Uh oh, Jayden thought. This was not good.

"So what now? Any more brilliant ideas?" Ron asked Hermione, a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"We should wait here until the Fat Lady comes back," Hermione said, ignoring him. "I don't think we'll get in any trouble, or at least, Jayden and I won't. She had to go to the bathroom and needed me to go with her, right Jayden?"

Jayden and Ron both gaped at her, both for very different reasons.

"What?" Hermione asked defensively.

"You would l-lie to a teacher?" Jayden asked incredulously.

"You'd just ditch me like that?" Ron said angrily.

"Well, we could have met up with you as you came out of the boys' bathroom," Hermione quickly amended. Ron looked slightly mollified at that.

"What about the f-fact that we have b-bathrooms in the dorms?" Jayden asked.

Hermione just shrugged. "They were occupied, and you really had to go." She smiled, hugging Jayden to herself. "So, now that I've answered your questions, what do you want to do while we wait?"

Jayden squirmed in Hermione's hold. "Umm… now that you m-mention it, I sort of do h-have to go to the bathroom," she said sheepishly.

Letting out a quiet snicker, Hermione nodded and squeezed Jayden's hand, intertwining their fingers together and leading her down the corridor to the bathroom. They moved silently, enjoying the contact between them as they waited for a staircase to shift over to them.

"Umm… where's Ron?" Jayden asked, looking around as she realized that the red haired boy was not with them.

"I'm over here!"

Jayden gaped at him; Ron was on the third floor!

"R-Ron, what are you doing there?" she called out. "The f-forbidden corridor is on that floor."

"The staircase moved while I was still on it," Ron huffed. "Oh, and Neville's here."

"Neville?"

Jayden and Hermione waited for the stairs to shift again until they got down to the third floor. Neville was standing next to Ron, looking utterly miserable.

"H-hey Neville, what are you doing here?" Jayden asked. Neville let out a sigh.

"I got released from the Hospital Wing, but the Fat Lady was gone when I got there. I was looking for a teacher when I found myself here," he said.

"Oh," Jayden murmured. "W-well, what now?"

"Umm…" Hermione hmmed, "we could –"

A loud cackle interrupted her, and Jayden let out a small scream as something shot through the wall in front of them. It was Peeves, the school poltergeist, and he gave a squeal of delight when he caught sight of them.

"Shut up, Peeves –please, you'll get us caught if Filch shows up." Ron said.

Peeves merely cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Naughty, naughty firsties."

Jayden buried her head in Hermione's shoulder, shivering in fear as the ghost looked at her.

"Aww, is the tiny firstie scared of itty bitty Peevie?" Peeves cooed. He swooped down from the air and hovered in front of Jayden, phasing his hand through Jayden's back and wiggling his fingers.

"…" Jayden looked down, horrified to see Peeves' hand sticking out of her chest. Her insides felt like they were frozen, and she gasped for air as her lungs constricted.

"Peeves! Stop it!" Hermione yelled, frightened as her friend's face turned deathly pale.

Peeves just cackled some more.

"Who's there? I can hear you," a voice said. It was Filch. He must have heard the racket they had been making.

Peeves jerked away and Jayden stumbled, collapsing in Hermione's arms. She cried softly, gasping as her lungs began to take in air again.

"Shh, it's okay Jayden," Hermione whispered, rubbing Jayden's back soothingly, trying to calm the smaller girl down. "Easy there, he can't do anything to you. It's okay."

"Yeah, it's alright Jayden," Ron said, patting her shoulder awkwardly. He rounded on Peeves, who had been giggling to himself. "Peeves, shut up!"

"Now that's not very nice, yelling at poor little Peevie like that." Peeves put a hand to his heart and sniffed dramatically. "Should tell Filch, I should." He wiggled his fingers at Jayden, making the girl cry out in fear and hide behind Hermione.

"Get out of here!" Ron snapped, taking a swipe at Peeves. This turned out to be a big mistake, as Peeves began to yell.

"Students out of bed!" Peeves bellowed. "Students out of bed in the Charms corridor!"

Ducking under Peeves the four students ran for their lives, running as fast as they could away from Filch's voice. They reached the end of the corridor; there was a door, but it was locked.

"Oh no, we're done for!" Ron moaned as he pushed helplessly against the door. "We're dead meat now!"

Jayden stared blankly at the door, feeling too numb to care. Peeves had… he had… she felt violated. She needed to take a shower, now. She could still feel the numbness that had spread throughout her when Peeves' hand had ghosted through her.

"Shh, Filch is coming!" Hermione hissed. They could hear Filch's footsteps as he ran as fast as he could towards Peeves' shouts.

"We're doomed!" Ron exclaimed. "Doomed I tell you!"

"Oh, move over!" Hermione snarled at him. Ron backed away in fear and Hermione turned to Jayden. "Jayden, do you have your wand with you? I left mine in the dorm."

"Huh…"

"Come on Jayden, I need you to focus for me," Hermione said softly. She cupped Jayden's cheek, forcing the girl to look at her. She shivered as Jayden stared at her lifelessly. "Do you have your wand?" she repeated.

"Y-yeah…" Jayden held out her wand with trembling fingers.

Taking it, Hermione tapped the lock on the door and whispered, "Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and Hermione turned the knob, ushering everyone inside. She shut it quickly and she, Ron, and Neville pressed their ears against it, listening. Jayden just leaned her head against the wall, trying to get her breath back.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please'."

"Don't mess around, Peeves. Now, where did they go?"

Jayden shuddered as she heard Peeves cackle.

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please!" Peeves sing-songed.

"All right –please."

"Nothing!" Peeves tittered. "Hahaha! Told you! I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Haha!" They heard Filch curse loudly.

"G-guys?" Neville squeaked.

"What?" Ron said. "He's gone, we should be okay now."

"T-turn around."

Jayden turned around, and for a moment was sure that she was dreaming –or was having a nightmare. This… this was too much. She slumped to her knees, her mind blank with fear.

Six yellow, angry eyes stared at her; in front of them stood a monstrous dog, a dog which filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. And it had three heads. Three heads, three noses, six mad eyes, and three drooling mouths filled with razor sharp teeth.

Jayden let out a tiny, terrified whimper, and immediately all six eyes were staring at her. She trembled, her hand groping for the doorknob –between Filch and certain death, she'd take Filch any day. The dog let out a thunderous growl, making Jayden whimper louder.

"Jay… shh…" Hermione whispered through the side of her mouth. "Get… the… door…"

Jayden's hand finally found the doorknob. Twisting it, everyone practically fell out of the room. Jayden slammed the door shut and they ran, nearly flew back down the corridor. Filch was no longer there –he must've hurried off to search for them somewhere else- but Jayden didn't care. All she wanted to do was put as much space as possible between her and that demon dog. She didn't stop running until she had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who had finally returned.

"P-Pig S-Snout," Jayden gasped out. The portrait swung forward and everyone scrambled into the Common Room. Jayden immediately curled up in an armchair, shaking terribly.

"Jayden..?"

Jayden shook her head. She was never moving from the chair again. Not if it meant facing that monster again.

"Jay…"

Jayden looked up slightly. Hermione was standing in front of her, her face pale and anxious, but also concerned. Jayden's eyes watered as she looked at her friend, and that was enough to make Hermione sit down next to her and wrap Jayden in her arms.

"It's okay, Jayden," Hermione murmured soothingly. "We're okay, everyone is okay."

"Okay?! Are you insane, Hermione? There was a giant dog! With three heads!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide. "What do they think they're doing, keeping something like that locked up in a school?"

Hermione glared at him, glancing at Jayden.

Ron nodded, mouthing 'sorry' to her.

Nodding in acceptance, Hermione hugged Jayden close. "It was standing on a trap door," she said finally, "so it's obviously guarding something."

"I-it's guarding w-whatever was taken o-out of G-Gringotts," Jayden whispered, so quiet that the others had to strain their ears to hear her voice. "G-Gringotts is the s-sa-safest place in the world for s-something you want to hide – e-except perhaps H-Hogwarts."

The small girl flinched when Ron and Neville gave her a look akin to pity. Yes, she was terrified out of her mind, and yes, her stuttering had indeed gotten worse, but she really, really hated pity.

"I-I'm okay," she said quickly.

Hermione gave Jayden a worried look. "Are you sure? With Malfoy, and Peeves, and the dog…"

"I'm sure."

"Okay…" The two girls bade goodnight as Ron and Neville retreated to the boys' dorm room, preferring to stay in the Common Room for the time being.

"Jayden, are you –"

"No."

Jayden's eyes burned as the tears slipped down her cheeks. She tensed up when Hermione began to rub her back and she hastily got up, rubbing her arm anxiously. "I-I have to go, I n-need to take a sh-shower." She turned around and sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dorms and entered the bathroom, ignoring Hermione's protests as she locked the door and turned on the shower to near scalding temperatures. She entered the shower and gasped as the boiling hot water hit her, but ignored it as best as she could in favor of scrubbing hard where Peeves' hand had gone through her.

After a good half an hour, Jayden got out, her skin red and scrubbed raw. She groaned when she realized that she hadn't brought a change of clothes with her.

"W-what now…" she muttered. Deciding to take her chances with facing Hermione, she opened the door. There was a pile of clothes on the floor.

"Hermione…" Jayden said softly. She hurriedly got changed and made her way to her dorm, shivering as the cool air touched her skin. Parvati and Lavender were sleeping peacefully, so Jayden took great care not to wake them up as she climbed into her bed.

"Jayden," Hermione's voice whispered from beside her. Jayden let out a muffled yelp; Hermione was sitting at the head of her bed. Suddenly Jayden was very thankful that the lights weren't on. She knew that Hermione would scold her if she saw her skin.

"Y-yeah?"

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Yeah…"

Jayden moved up and got under the covers, wishing that Hermione would just drop it. Of course, she knew that her friend wouldn't, and was proven correct when she felt two freezing cold hands wrap around her waist.

There was a gasp behind her. "God Jayden, you're so hot! What did you do, boil yourself?" Hermione whispered incredulously.

"N-no…"

"You're absolutely sure you're okay?" Hermione pressed. "You had me scared for a while."

Jayden just nodded her head, turning over so that she was facing her friend and snuggling into the offered comfort, enjoying how cool Hermione's skin was at the moment compared to hers. A hand rested itself on the spot where Peeves' hand had gone through, making her flinch away. The hand rubbed her back gently, and Jayden slowly relaxed in Hermione's arms. When the girl made to leave, Jayden found herself reaching out in panic.

"H-Hermione?" Don't go, please, I need you here, she thought frantically. You can't go, I need my friend with me right now.

"Yeah?"

"C-can you stay here t-tonight?" Jayden blushed hard, grateful once more for the darkness. "I-I'm scared…" she admitted. "Please d-don't go."

"You sure?" Hermione asked shyly.

Jayden nodded just as shyly and scooted over, allowing Hermione to lie down beside her. The two girls lay there together, until sleep claimed them both. That night as she lay there in Hermione's arms, Jayden's dreams were free of nightmares.

* * *

A.N.: I really liked writing this chapter, although I fear the ending may have been a tad bit corny. Hopefully the end result was one that you all liked. Also, as you may have guessed, Jayden seems to have an… unhealthy way of dealing with things. If Hermione hadn't guessed that something was wrong before, I would think that she strongly suspects something now. I'm not sure, I liked how this turned out, I just hope I didn't overdo the fear Jayden showed. Logically though, if I was eleven and I had a ghost's hand going through my insides, and then I saw a giant three headed dog, I'd be pretty freaked out as well.

Hmm… that's all I can think of to comment on right now, so I'm going to bed, as I feel absolutely dreadful. Expect the next chapter up in one to two weeks, until next time! Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	8. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: First off, I'd like to apologize for not updating on time. My family has been hit with some unexpected tragedy; my grandmother was admitted to the hospital about a week ago because of some breathing difficulties, and I haven't felt up to writing lately. She has been released but still isn't feeling too good. So sorry once again for not updating sooner. This chapter is also a tiny bit shorter than the others, I believe, so I apologize for that as well.

DukeBrymin: Thanks for the review, once again. I didn't mean to worry you with how Jayden turned out last chapter, it just seemed natural for me to make her as scared as she was. Don't worry though; I have everything planned out for this book, and some pretty good ideas of what to do for the next books!

Reader458: Hmm… somehow I bet you're not the only one thinking that.

Alchemist PAC: Thanks for the pat on the back, and for the comments afterwards. You've got me thinking about some of the pitfalls, which I thank you for. I don't think I ever really considered Dudley's reaction to Jayden when she gets older.

Der-wolf: Thanks for the review, but I don't think their relationship is going to fast. I know I was blushing like an idiot at eleven because of a crush I had on a girl in my class, and Jayden's reaction is slightly based on how mine was. Thanks for the idea about Valentine's Day! I hadn't thought about that!

nightwing27: I appreciate you upping my review count, but you didn't need to review every chapter. Thanks for letting me know how much you like my story though!

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. Finally, after all those review responses, here is the seventh chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

Minor edit: fixed some spelling mistakes and a tiny plot hole; thanks to DukeBrymin and Reader458 for pointing them out.

* * *

"_H-Hermione?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_C-can you stay here t-tonight?" Jayden blushed hard, grateful once more for the darkness. "I-I'm scared…" she admitted. "Please don't go."_

"_You sure?" Hermione asked shyly._

_Jayden nodded just as shyly and scooted over, allowing Hermione to lie down beside her. The two girls lay there together, until sleep claimed them both. That night as she lay there in Hermione's arms, Jayden's dreams were free of nightmares._

* * *

The next morning Jayden woke up with the urge to go to the bathroom. However, when she tried to get out of bed two arms gripped her tightly, stopping her from getting up. She bit her lip, not knowing what to do.

"Hermione, I h-have to go to the bathroom," she whispered. Hermione just mumbled something unintelligible and tightened her grip on Jayden's waist, not allowing her to move.

What was she, a teddy bear? Biting her lip harder, Jayden reached over and grabbed her pillow, and after a brief struggle to break free from Hermione's grip she succeeded. Hermione frowned in her sleep, reaching out unconsciously and grabbed Jayden's pillow from her, pulling it close.

Jayden smiled at the sight; her best friend was hugging her pillow and looked utterly adorable. She could have spent hours looking at Hermione, but her bladder quickly reminded her why she had gotten up in the first place. After doing her business and taking a quick shower, Jayden looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin was no longer red, which was good seeing as Hermione definitely would have noticed. Jayden swore to herself that she would never do such a thing again; it was a stupid thing to do, and she had only done it to rid herself of the violated feeling that Peeves had given her.

Exiting the bathroom, Jayden walked over to Hermione and shook her gently. "H-Hermione, time to wake up."

"Mmph…"

"Come on, H-Hermione, wake up," Jayden pleaded. Hermione just let out a tiny groan and buried her head under the covers.

Seeing this, Jayden narrowed her eyes and yelled out, "Hermione, get up! You're late for class!"

"Aaahh! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" Hermione's eyes shot open and she let out a shriek, bolting out of bed. However, her legs were still tangled in the sheets and she found herself falling to the floor with a thump. Hermione sat up and glared at the smaller girl, who was laughing hysterically. "You're going to pay for that, Jayden!"

"Would you two be quiet? We're trying to sleep over here," a sleepy voice said.

Jayden blushed. "Sorry, Lavender."

"Mmm.. it's not even 7:30 yet. Go 'way if you're going to be up this early."

"Fine, fine, we're going already," Hermione huffed, untangling her legs and standing up. She glared at Jayden some more as the girl hid an amused smile. "You're still going to pay for that," she hissed quietly before going to take her own shower. Jayden gulped nervously, wondering if she should make a break for it while Hermione was in the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later the two girls made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Both were well rested despite the ordeal they had gone through the night before, and both were curious as to what was being guarded by the monstrous dog. Or at least, Hermione was. Jayden just wanted to forget about it and move on.

"Come on, Jayden, aren't you even the least bit curious at all?" Hermione asked as she buttered a piece of toast. She held it in front of Jayden's mouth, smiling as the smaller girl took a bite of it.

Chewing and swallowing, Jayden shook her head no. "N-nope. It never happened. I st-stayed in bed all night and slept. I n-never saw Peeves, or a giant three headed d-dog," she said.

"But Jayden -"

"Hey Jayden!" Ron Weasley plunked down beside Jayden, making her sigh inwardly with relief. With Ron here Hermione was unable to continue the conversation, because even though Ron had been there with them, the fact that he was here at all meant that the other students would be arriving quickly.

"Hi, Ron," Jayden said happily. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Ron said as he helped himself to a breakfast roll. "Can't wait to see Malfoy's face when he sees you weren't expelled though."

Jayden smiled a tiny bit despite herself; that would be a pretty funny image to see. Malfoy would no doubt be furious that she had escaped expulsion. She found herself going over everything that had happened yesterday, and felt disappointed that she hadn't been able to prove that she could be brave for once. Yeah, running away, crying, and nearly fainting in terror was really courageous of her.

A hooting sound broke her from her thoughts and made her look up. As the owls flooded into the Great Hall, everyone's attention was drawn to a long, thin package that was being carried by six large Screech owls. Jayden was greatly surprised when the owls soared down and dropped the package right in front of her. They had hardly flown out of the way before another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, eyeing it curiously.

Jayden shrugged in response and grabbed the letter, opening it carefully. This was lucky, as the first thing it said was:

_Do Not Open This Parcel At The Table._

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I do not want everybody knowing that you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session._

_Professor M. McGonagall_

Jayden gulped nervously as she reread the letter. It was really happening; she was going to be the Gryffindor Seeker.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron said enviously. "I've never even touched one! I've only seen them in stores!"

"This is quite amazing," Hermione admitted, looking at the package with curiosity in her eyes. "I've heard those are the best broomsticks out there."

"Are you kidding? Those are the greatest broomsticks ever invented!" Ron exclaimed.

Jayden shushed him. "Quiet, Ron. N-no one is supposed to know, r-remember?"

The trio left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before lessons started, but halfway to the Gryffindor tower they ran into Malfoy and his cronies. Malfoy seized the package from Jayden and felt it.

"That right there is a broomstick," he said, jealousy and disbelief clear in his voice. "You're in for it now, Potter; first years aren't allowed to have broomsticks."

Ron couldn't resist it.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you have at home, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Jayden. "Comets aren't even in the same league as the Nimbus."

Jayden just rolled her eyes and took the broom out of Malfoy's hands. Why did boys always feel the need to compete with each other?

"Come on, R-Ron, we need to get going," she said, ignoring Malfoy. "Let's go."

"Wait just a minute, Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed, a dark look on his face. "Why haven't you been expelled yet?"

"Y-you mean for flying after you?" Jayden said innocently. Malfoy glared at her.

"You know what I mean!" he snapped.

"Do I? I h-have no idea, do y-you, Hermione?" Jayden said, looking at her friend. Hermione smirked and shook her head no.

Malfoy gave Hermione a dark look. "I didn't ask you, Granger. Why don't you go kiss up to McGonagall for higher marks?"

"I don't need to; I actually score higher than a D, unlike you," Hermione threw back.

The blond clenched his fists, but before he could retort Professor Flitwick appeared at his side.

"Not arguing, I hope, girls and boys?" he squeaked.

Malfoy's eyes glinted. "Potter's been sent a broom, Professor," he quickly said. "Shouldn't she be punished?"

"Oh yes, I remember hearing about that," Professor Flitwick said. He beamed at Jayden, who smiled back timidly. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. Have you tried it out? What model is it?"

"A N-Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," Jayden said shyly. Chancing a glance at Malfoy, she fought the urge to giggle; Malfoy looked positively horrified! She couldn't resist adding, "I-I've really got to t-thank Malfoy though, I wouldn't have got it if n-not for him."

Professor Flitwick nodded and patted Jayden on the arm. "Well, good for you, Ms. Potter. Hopefully you can help out Minerva's team; they haven't been doing too well the past few years. I'm sure you'll do wonderful."

Jayden bowed her head, a tiny blush on her face at the praise. "I'll d-do my best, sir."

"Glad to hear it." Professor Flitwick headed back towards the Great Hall.

Malfoy rounded on Jayden, a furious look in his eyes. "How! How did you get Dumbledore to let you play? You're only a first year, like me! It's not allowed! And if anyone should've been allowed to play, it should've been me!"

"I d-don't even want to play though!" Jayden protested.

Malfoy scowled at her. "Rubbish, every first year's dream is to play on the team. It's because you're Saint Potter; Dumbledore can't say no to our precious savior," he sneered, getting into her personal space.

Jayden flinched, moving back.

"I knew it!" Malfoy exclaimed, taking her flinch as him striking the nail on the head. "Saint Potter asks and she receives because she's Dumbledore's precious pet."

"Shut up, Malfoy, you don't know anything," Hermione said coldly.

He sneered at her. "Potter's got a guard now? Call her off, Potter, no mudbl-"

"She's not a mudblood!" Jayden yelled, her temper finally rising past its boiling point. "Leave me alone, Malfoy! I didn't ask Pr-Professor Dumbledore to be on the team, so stop b-bugging me!" She shoved past a stunned Malfoy and walked up the stairs, grumbling about stupid boys.

"Jayden! Hey, Jayden, wait up!"

Jayden sighed but slowed down at the request nonetheless. Hermione ran up behind her, panting softly.

"Geez, you run fast for such a little –" Hermione flushed as Jayden gave her a tiny glare. She smiled apologetically, forgetting for a moment how much the mentions of height bothered her friend, and was relieved when Jayden smiled back. "Umm… thank you for defending me from Malfoy. Again," she said shyly.

Jayden blushed. "I-it was no problem, Hermione. A-after all, I'm your knight in sh-shining armor, right?" she said just as shyly.

Hermione smiled, taking Jayden's hand in hers. "Right. But still, thank you. I really owe you."

"Don't worry about it," Jayden said. However, what she really wanted to ask was whether Hermione would… if she would reward her like real princesses rewarded their knights, with a kiss. Or, or something along those lines. Oh god, she could feel her face burning…

"Well, I guess, but still." Hermione leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Jayden's cheek. She smiled at the dazed look she got afterwards. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

"Uh huh," Jayden nodded her head, a goofy grin on her face.

"So… now what?" Hermione asked, amused at the expression on Jayden's face.

"Uhmm…" Jayden blushed, amazed that she had gotten a kiss from her crush. Okay, maybe not on the lips, but still!

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the blush. "What are you thinking of, Jayden?" she asked curiously.

"I wasn't.. I… k-kis-"

"There you are!" Ron ran up to them, saving Jayden from answering. She had never been so grateful to see him before. "You really told Malfoy, he looked so angry after you left," Ron said gleefully. "So, what now?"

"I-I'm not sure," Jayden said, steadfastly ignoring Hermione's gaze. "I need to go to the Q-Quidditch pitch at seven though…"

"We can go to the library after classes," Hermione offered. Jayden perked up while Ron's face fell.

"The library?" Ron rolled his eyes. "What's so great about the library?"

"I-it's a great place, Ron," Jayden defended her favorite place. "Books are wonderful!"

"Wonderfully boring," Ron muttered. "I'll catch you later, Jayden, Hermione."

Jayden shook her head at him. He didn't know what he was missing.

After a full day of classes and a trip to the library with Hermione, Jayden made her way down towards the Quidditch pitch. She'd never seen the stadium before and was amazed with how big it was. It could've fit at least three airplanes inside of it, maybe more! At either end of the pitch were three huge poles with hoops on the end that remind Jayden of those sticks that kids would blow bubbles out of. The entire pitch was surrounded by colored stands for the four houses. It was simply astounding.

Jayden looked around, but couldn't see Oliver Wood anywhere. Too eager to wait to fly anymore, she took her Nimbus and mounted it – it was much better than the school brooms. Sleek, shiny, with a mahogany handle and a tail of long, neat, straight twigs. Much better indeed – and kicked off from the ground. She swooped in and out of the goal posts and sped up and down the pitch. The Nimbus Two Thousand was amazing! It went wherever she wanted with the slightest touch and was so responsive to her will that she barely had to think about what she wanted.

"Hey, Potter, come down!"

Oh, Oliver was here now. And he was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Uh oh, Jayden thought as she landed next to him. I hope this isn't going to hurt.

"Very nice," Wood said, his eyes glinting in a way that made Jayden wonder what he was planning. "I see what McGonagall meant… you really are a natural with a broom."

"Thanks," Jayden said bashfully.

Wood grinned at her. "For today I'm just going to teach you the rules of the game. Then you'll join in on practices, which are three times a week."

"A-alright."

Wood nodded and opened the crate. Inside were four different sized balls. Jayden stared at them in confusion.

"Right, let's get started," Wood said. "There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers. That would be Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet. Their job is to pass the Quaffle around and keep it from getting into the other team's hands." Wood grabbed a bright red ball about the size of a football out of the box. "This ball here is the Quaffle, and they also have to try to get it through one of the hoops on the end of the pitch."

Jayden nodded. "Three Chasers score with the Q-Quaffle," she repeated.

"Good." Wood smiled at her. "Next up is the Keeper. I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. Keepers guard the hoops and stop the other team from scoring."

"O-okay." Jayden caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She stared at the crate incredulously. "A-are those moving?"

"Yes. Those are Bludgers," Wood explained, seeing her point to the two balls in the box. They were jet black and slightly smaller than the Quaffle, and were being held down by straps. Jayden nervously swallowed as she saw them strain against the straps.

"Stand back," Wood warned her. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.

At once, the black ball rose up into the air. Jayden gasped as it suddenly zoomed straight towards her face, and on instinct she grabbed one of the small clubs on the ground and swung it. The ball was sent flying away with a solid whack before proceeding to whiz around their heads and fly at Wood's head. Wood dove on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.

"Good hit!" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around and try to knock players off their brooms. You know the Weasley twins?"

"Y-yeah." Jayden smiled and nodded.

"Well, they're the Beaters on our team. It's their job to protect our team and send the Bludgers towards the other team."

"Umm… h-have the Bludgers ever k-killed anyone?" Jayden asked worriedly.

"Never at Hogwarts," Wood reassured her. "We've had a few broken bones, but nothing too serious. Do you have everything down so far?"

"T-three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the K-Keeper guards the goal posts; the B-Beaters keep the Bludgers away from t-their team," Jayden dutifully repeated.

Wood nodded. "Very good. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. You. And you don't need to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers –"

Unless they crack my head open, Jayden thought morbidly.

"-but don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers –they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."

Wood reached into the crate and took out the last ball. It was tiny, about the size of a large walnut, and it was bright gold with little fluttering silver wings.

"Oh," Jayden whispered softly. It was so pretty…

"This is the Golden Snitch," Wood said, "and it is the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see, and it's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the whole game and catch it before the other Seeker gets it. Whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his or her team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends once the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for days – I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing in substitutes so the players could sleep.

"Well, that's it. Any questions?"

Jayden shook her head dazedly, her mind reeling with all the new information. Professor McGonagall really believed that she of all people could do this? She was more likely to get knocked off her broom or hit in the head with a Bludger.

"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," Wood said, putting the tiny golden ball back into the crate. "I don't want to lose it, as it's getting dark out." He pulled out a bag of ordinary golf balls. "We'll try you out with a few of these."

Jayden wasn't entirely sure where he had gotten them from, as he hadn't had it before, but shrugged it off. She supposed that it was just one of those mysteries that would never be solved.

A few minutes later she and Wood were up in the air, and Wood was throwing golf balls in every direction. Jayden dove and sped after all of them, not missing a single ball, and Wood was positively delighted. They kept going until it had grown too dark to see outside as the sun began to set.

"We'll have the Quidditch cup for sure this year!" Wood said happily as they made their way back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turned out to be better than Charlie Weasley, and he could've played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."

Jayden walked all the way to the Gryffindor Common Room with Wood before saying goodnight and heading up to her dorm, where Hermione was sitting on her bed waiting for her.

"How was it?" Hermione asked excitedly. "It wasn't too stressful, was it? You're okay? Was it fun? Did you get to try out your broom and catch the Snitch?"

Jayden covered her mouth, stifling the giggle that threatened to come out. "I-I'm fine, Hermione, really. It was more f-fun than I thought it would be, and my b-broom was fantastic! I wasn't allowed to c-catch the Snitch though, because it was too dark out."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Hermione said. She patted the bed beside her, and Jayden scampered over immediately and sat down. She snuggled up to Hermione, burying her head in the older girl's neck.

Hermione let out a small chuckle, wrapping her arms around Jayden's tiny waist. "Comfy?"

"Mhmm…"

"Good." Hermione grinned deviously and shoved Jayden off of her, making the smaller girl land on the floor with a thump. "Go take a shower then, you smell like sweat."

"H-hey! Hermione, no fair!"

After her second shower of the day, Jayden practically collapsed on her bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.

"_Hey…"_

_Jayden looked around. She was standing in a field of grass; a bright, clear blue sky was above her, and she could hear the trees rustling in the wind. She closed her eyes and spun around, laughing to herself. She felt free for once._

"_Hey, Jayden…"_

_Turning around, Jayden let out a soft gasp. Hermione was standing behind her, dressed in her school uniform. She swallowed nervously and wiped her suddenly sweaty hands on her pants. What was Hermione doing here, in her dreams of all places?_

"_I – Hermione, hi," she said, blushing._

_Hermione moved closer, a strange smile on her face. "Hey yourself," she whispered._

_Jayden bit her lip as Hermione took her hands in her own. "W-what are you doing here?" she asked softly, a curious tone in her voice. Her eyes widened in shock as a smooth palm cupped her cheek._

"_Can I do something?" Hermione asked, ignoring her question._

"_I-I… uhh… sure," Jayden squeaked. Be brave, just be brave, she thought to herself. In a fit of pure courage she wrapped her arms around Hermione's neck and pulled her closer, hugging her. Hermione gave her a soft grin in return, her own arms going around Jayden's waist._

"_Can I kiss you?"_

"_W-what?!"_

"_Well? Can I?"_

"_I-I… guh…" This was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a – oh god, Hermione was getting closer to her. She could feel the taller girl's breath on her face, her lips just about to –_

"_No, not Jayden! Noo!"_

_A flash of green light._

_A woman's scream._

_Someone's highpitched laughter._

_And Hermione's scream added to it all._

"Noooo!!"

Jayden bolted up in bed, tears welling up in her eyes and dropping silently onto her blanket. She cried quietly, her head in her hands. What kind of dream was that? Who was screaming, and why was Hermione screaming too? And that laugh… that laugh scared her.

"Jayden?"

Hermione's bushy head came into view. Seeing Jayden's teary face, she immediately climbed onto the bed and hugged Jayden hard.

"We heard you scream, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Jayden looked up. "W-we?"

"Hey, Jayden…"

"Hi…"

Lavender and Parvati's figures could be seen past Hermione, and they were watching Jayden with a concerned look in their eyes.

"We heard you scream."

"It woke us up."

"O-oh. S-sorry guys," Jayden stuttered apologetically. "I h-had a bad dream." She shuddered in remembrance, burying herself deeper into the covers. "S-so just go back to s-sleep, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Lavender asked skeptically.

Jayden nodded her head. "Yeah."

Lavender and Parvati nodded and climbed back into their own beds, but to Jayden's unsurprise, Hermione stayed with her.

"What did you dream about?" Hermione moved closer to Jayden, apparently taking note of her shaken appearance.

"I-I don't want to talk a-about it," Jayden whispered softly. When Hermione opened her mouth to speak, Jayden covered it with a trembling hand.

"P-please Hermione, n-not now," she pleaded. "I just want to sleep."

With a sigh, Hermione gave in. "Alright. Would you… do you want me to stay with you?"

Jayden contemplated it for a moment before nodding shyly, a blush turning her face pink. However, a smile was on her lips as Hermione climbed in beside her and wrapped her arms around her. Jayden snuggled closer, her eyelids already feeling heavy. Within a few minutes she was sound asleep, the nightmares disappearing within the safety of her best friend's arms.

* * *

A.N.: Is it just me, or do I have them fall asleep together a lot? They're only friends, I know, but I fear it may rush the relationship too much. Anyhow, what did you all think of the chapter? I didn't really like this one as much as the others for some reason, although I suspect that that's only because I'm too worried about my grandmother and possibly didn't do as good of a job as I could have. Oh well…

Something that I should probably add for any of you that read my Author's Notes. Jayden has never been sexually abused by anyone, and I highly doubt I'll ever have her sexually abused. While I can see Vernon Dursley being physically abusive (it's not that much of a stretch from canon to me, considering how the Dursleys treated Harry), I can't see Vernon ever being sexually abusive to Jayden, or canon Harry for that matter. But that's just my opinion. Anyhow, read and review please. Feedback and questions are always welcome, and flames are fun to laugh at!


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: Once again, I believe I must apologize for not having this chapter out on time. This month has been pretty awful for me, sadly, what with my grandmother in the hospital, my pet dying, and finding out that my girlfriend was cheating on me, I haven't been up to writing much. Other than that, there's not much to say so I'll just skip to the review responses.

DukeBrymin: Thanks a lot for catching the spelling mistakes last chapter! I didn't even notice them at all, which I blame on staying up until five in the morning writing. As for my author's note, I suppose you could say I meant that in the most technical sense; we all know they're definitely thinking of each other as more than friends, they just haven't done anything about it yet. Yep, they're "just friends". Glad you liked the chapter; I can't wait to read your review for this one!

ladygoddess8: I really have to thank you for your review, as it made me feel better when I was kicking myself in the ego, mostly because I wasn't satisfied with the chapter. It also made me think about the relationship so far; I don't think it'll get much faster than it already is for a bit though.

Reader458: I take it you thought that Jayden had been sexually abused? I'll admit, the thought did cross my mind for a while, but I couldn't find a good place to put it into the plot. And there's just too many stories out there where Harry/girl! Harry is sexually abused, so I figured that I wouldn't do that. Oh, and thanks for pointing out the plot hole last chapter, I completely missed that!

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. And now, after the long wait, here is the eighth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

"_What did you dream about?" Hermione moved closer to Jayden, apparently taking note of her shaken appearance._

"_I-I don't want to talk a-about it," Jayden whispered softly. When Hermione opened her mouth to speak, Jayden covered it with a trembling hand._

"_P-please Hermione, n-not now," she pleaded. "I just want to sleep."_

_With a sigh, Hermione gave in. "Alright. Would you… do you want me to stay with you?"_

_Jayden contemplated it for a moment before nodding shyly, a blush turning her face pink. However, a smile was on her lips as Hermione climbed in beside her and wrapped her arms around her. Jayden snuggled closer, her eyelids already feeling heavy. Within a few minutes she was sound asleep, the nightmares disappearing within the safety of her best friend's arms._

* * *

Two months had passed since she had left the Dursleys and Jayden could hardly believe it. What with classes, Quidditch, and spending time with her friends, along with doing all of her homework, it was no wonder that time was flying. Hogwarts was definitely more of a home than Privet Drive had ever been, and the people were much friendlier. Also, as a bonus, her lessons were much more interesting now that they had mastered the basics. Jayden was constantly looking forward to her classes. Well, except for History with Professor Binns…

On October 31st, Jayden woke up to the sound of Hermione's voice.

"Come on, Jayden, it's Halloween! Wake up!"

"Mmn…?"

"Yes, you have to wake up."

"Mmn?"

"Because even though it's Halloween, there's still classes today and you'll miss breakfast if you don't hurry."

That got Jayden's attention, and she quickly jumped out of bed, rushing off to take a quick shower and get changed. As they walked off to their first class, Charms, after breakfast, Jayden asked a question that shocked Hermione to no end.

"Hermione, what's the point in Halloween?"

Jayden blushed softly as Hermione turned to gape at her. Random students that were walking by that had heard her question stared as well until she looked back at them.

"What's the point in Halloween?" Hermione repeated faintly. "Jayden, do you even know what Halloween is?"

"Well, y-yeah, of course. I'm not that stupid, you know. I j-just meant… well, w-what's the point in kids dressing up in c-costumes and getting candy from strangers? W-where's the significance?" Jayden asked curiously. Whenever Halloween had come along Uncle Vernon had locked her in her cupboard, saying that they didn't need her freakiness ruining the holiday. Dudley would always come home a few hours later with a sackful of candy, which he would taunt her with for a day or two before he ate it all.

"Have you never gone trick-or-treating?" Hermione asked, disbelief coloring her voice. Jayden rubbed her arm nervously.

"Well, n-no," she admitted. Seeing Hermione's amazed look, she added hastily, "b-but it's not like I couldn't or anything! I j-just didn't see a point in going, that's all. W-why do people d-dress up and trick-or-treat? It's silly to me; I'd rather st-stay home and read."

"People dress up now because back then they used to dress up in animal masks, and the idea of trick-or-treating came when poor people would go door to door and receive food in return for prayers for the dead," Hermione explained. "In fact, I remember reading somewhere that the earliest Halloween was, in fact, a big Druid festival named for the Lord of the Dead, Samhain, and at the end of it there was a huge bonfire where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the gods."

"Some days you s-scare me," Jayden muttered. "Hermione, you know w-way too much."

"I get bored easily," Hermione said defensively. "But you should try going trick-or-treating some time, it's really fun."

"Mnn…" The chances of me going trick-or-treating are about as good as Uncle Vernon suddenly declaring that Professor Dumbledore is his hero, Jayden thought wryly.

"It's not that bad, really," Hermione reassured her. "It's a nice holiday where you have lots of fun. I'm sure Hogwarts will have something going on today to celebrate."

"Sure, sure…"

"Oh come on, Jayden, don't be like that, please?" Hermione said, tugging Jayden's hands. "I'll give you candy if you cheer up," she bribed.

"C-candy?"

When Hermione grinned, Jayden smiled and nodded eagerly. Hermione pulled out a piece of candy from inside of her pocket. It was orange, yellow, and white, and shaped a bit like a squashed pyramid. Or a cone. Either way, Jayden wasn't quite certain what it was.

"Here, my parents sent me some for Halloween," Hermione explained, holding it to Jayden's lips. "They're dentists and they absolutely love Halloween since they always get a large amount of work thanks to all of the cavities that kids get around this time." She blushed hard as Jayden's lips grazed her fingers. "H-how do you like it?"

"Mmm, yum. W-what was it?" Jayden asked after swallowing the brightly colored candy.

"Candy corn," Hermione said, smiling. "Now come on, let's hurry before we're late for Charms." The pair hurried to get to class before the bell rang.

While in Charms, Professor Flitwick announced that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something that Jayden had been dying to try ever since she had seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Unfortunately though, Professor Flitwick had decided that he would pick the partners that everyone would work with. Jayden was paired with a boy, Seamus Finnegan, but Hermione, much to the brown-eyed girl's dismay, was to work with Ron Weasley.

Uh oh, Jayden thought as she caught Hermione's eye. She is not going to like this.

While Jayden didn't mind Ron –she even considered him a friend, even if she didn't know him that well- Hermione was not a big fan of the boy. And the dislike went both ways; Ron seemed to dislike Hermione for the simple fact that Jayden would always pick her over him whenever he and Hermione were arguing, as well as that Jayden would always be at Hermione's side.

"Now don't forget your wrist movement, as it's a key component in the spell!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick! And don't forget to pronounce the spell correctly; it's Wingardium Leviosa!"

It was hard for Jayden; she didn't really understand concept of what to do. Well, she did, but she didn't get how the magic itself worked. Why did a swish, a flick, and two random words make a feather float? What was the point of making a feather float in the first place? Shouldn't they be doing something more practical, like healing cuts or creating fire or ice or something?

"Jayden, come on, we should get started," Seamus said impatiently, breaking Jayden from her thoughts.

"O-oh. Sorry," Jayden apologized. However, no matter how many times she or Seamus swished and flicked, the feather that was supposed to be airborne stayed frustratingly on the desktop. Eventually Seamus got so impatient that he poked it with his wand and set fire to it. Accidentally, of course.

Now, isn't that ironic, Jayden thought sarcastically as she put out the fire with her hat. Looking over at Hermione, Jayden saw that her friend was getting very irritated with her partner.

"Wingardrium Leviosar!" Ron shouted, waving his arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Jayden heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa; make the 'gar' nice and long."

"If you're so clever then why don't you do it!" Ron said angrily. "Go on, do it!"

"Fine!" Hermione looked up, and seeing that Jayden was watching her, flashed her a quick grin before rolling up her sleeves, swishing and flicking her wand at the feather and saying, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather rose off of the desk and hovered about four feet about their heads. Jayden beamed as Hermione gave Ron a smug look. God, that girl was brilliant…

"Well done Ms. Granger!" Professor Flitwick cried, clapping his hands. "See here everyone, Ms. Granger's done it! Five points for Gryffindor!"

Feeling very proud of Hermione, Jayden looked at her once more and snickered quietly under her breath. Ron's face was priceless!

At the end of class Ron strode over to her in a huff. "I don't get how you can stand her, Jayden, she's a nightmare! Honestly! It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, not Leviosar; she's a bloody freaking Know-It-All!"

Jayden gasped as someone –Hermione, she knew it from the bushy hair- ran past her, and she was startled to see that Hermione was crying.

"She heard you, you j-jerk!" Jayden growled at him.

"So?" Ron said. "She must've noticed that she's got no friends."

"She's got me!" Jayden yelled. She shoved him angrily, taking a savage delight in the look on Ron's face. "Y-you insensitive jerk, you b-better stay away from her! Or else!"

Growling under her breath, Jayden ran after Hermione, but she couldn't see her anywhere. Oh Hermione, I hope you're okay, she thought worriedly.

"Jayden!" Lavender ran up to her. "Jayden, me and Parvati just saw Hermione run into the girls' bathroom. She looked really upset!"

"Thank you, Lavender!" Jayden rushed off towards the girls' toilets. She stopped outside of the door; she could hear sobs coming from the other side. "Hermione?" she asked tentatively. "Can I come in?"

"Go 'way!"

"N-no." Jayden pushed open the door gently and stepped inside. Her heart clenched when she saw her friend slumped against the wall, tears running down her face. Biting her lip worriedly, Jayden sat down beside her friend and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Hermione, don't tell me that y-you're actually listening to Ron," Jayden murmured.

Hermione sniffed. "He's r-right! I am a nightmare! I never had any friends before y-you!"

"But now you do," Jayden retorted. "Y-you have me, and Lavender, and Parvati." She brushed Hermione's tears away and gave her a small smile. "Don't be sad, please?"

"Mnn.." Hermione grunted, leaning against Jayden and resting her head on Jayden's shoulder.

Jayden giggled. "That's my line," she said mock-angrily.

"Mine now," Hermione said, smiling slightly. She fidgeted with her hands. "… Is it okay if I don't go to class with you? I don't feel up to it yet."

"L-like I'm going to go to class and leave you here a-alone," Jayden said.

"But-"

"You're my friend, Hermione. S-some things are more important than class." Like making sure that you're okay, Jayden thought.

"Oh…" Hermione gave Jayden a strange smile before snuggling up closer to her. "Well, thanks."

"It's not a p-problem. I know you'd do the same for me."

The two girls sat there for a good two hours, just enjoying each other's company and talking about whatever came to mind. They were in the middle of debating whether or not Professor Snape was really a vampire when suddenly Jayden's stomach let out a loud growl.

"Geez…" Jayden blushed, putting a hand over her belly in an attempt to quiet it. "I g-guess I'm a bit hungry."

Chuckling quietly, Hermione covered Jayden's hand. "It sounds like you have a bear in there, Jayden. I think it wants to be fed."

"It d-doesn't sound like a -" Jayden's stomach growled again, protesting its emptiness. "N-nevermind.."

"Silly. Come on then, we've been sitting here long enough. It's lunchtime now, let's get you fed." Hermione stood up and pulled Jayden up with her.

GROWL!

"Wow, you must be really hungry," Hermione said in awe.

"U-umm… Hermione…"

"Yeah?"

"T-that wasn't me this time…"

BAM!

The two girls yelped in fright and grabbed each other close.

"What w-was that?!" Jayden cried.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Hermione asked, covering her nose.

Jayden's eyes widened in fear as something very large emerged in front of the doorway. "H-Hermione, q-quiet." She pulled her friend behind her as the thing looked at her.

"Oh my god, that's a tr-troll!" Hermione whispered. "How'd it get into the castle?!"

That was the last thing on Jayden's mind at the moment. She stared at the troll in horror. It had to have been at least twelve feet tall! It had a lumpy body like a boulder, its skin was a dull grey, and its legs were short and stumpy. Not to mention the smell coming from it was incredible. And not in a good way either.

Jayden whimpered as she caught sight of the huge wooden club in its hand; there was no way they could take it on and live to tell the tale!

"Uh oh…" The troll trained its beady eyes on her, a small frown on its face as it glared at her. Well, at least she knew who was the target… The troll advanced on them, knocking the sinks off the walls with its club as it moved closer.

"H-Hermione?"

"Y-yeah?"

Jayden shoved her hard as the club came down upon them. "Run!" The club smashed into the ground, and the two scrambled to the door. It was locked.

"What pea-brained idiot locked the door?!" Hermione screamed in frustration. She banged on it, yelling loudly. "Help! Let us out!"

"Move!" Jayden screamed. She shoved Hermione once again as the troll reached for them. Hermione stumbled out of harms way, but Jayden wasn't as lucky this time. The troll grabbed her by the leg and held her up, making Jayden scream in pain as she felt her leg being crushed by its large hand.

"Jayden! Nooo!!"

Jayden yelped and raised her body up as the troll swung its club at her head. "R-run!" she cried. "Use Alohomora on the d-door!"

"No!" Hermione bent down and grabbed a metal pipe from the floor, throwing it hard at the troll. It smacked the troll in the head, and Jayden let out a shriek as she was dropped to the ground. She scrambled over to Hermione as fast as her injured leg would let her.

"Hermione! D-do the spell!" she gasped out.

"Which spell?!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't know any offensive spells yet! I haven't read that far in the textbooks! I'm only up to the second year!"

"The– duck!"

"What?!"

Jayden yanked Hermione's leg out from under her, causing her to fall and the troll's club to hit only air. The girl grit her teeth in pain as Hermione fell on her.

"S-sorry!"

"'s okay..."

Looking up, Jayden bit her lip and rolled Hermione under her, making the troll miss once more. It let out an angry roar and lashed out at them with its hand, catching Jayden in the side. Jayden let out a pained cry as she was forcibly removed from Hermione and flung into one of the bathroom stalls. She slumped over, feeling like her insides were being torn apart. It hurt to breathe…

"Oh god, Jayden!!" Hermione crawled over to her friend, crying as she saw Jayden's glazed eyes.

Jayden was in terrible agony as she lay in Hermione's arms. She was fairly certain that her leg was broken now, and quite possibly a few of her ribs. But it was okay, Hermione was safe… "Y-you… o-okay?" she whispered weakly.

"Thanks to you!" Hermione cried. Jayden gave her a weak smile.

"G-good…"

A roar made Hermione flinch. The troll was still there, and it sounded angry. It shuffled towards them, its club scraping along the ground. Hermione sank to the floor in fright, clutching Jayden protectively. There was no way she would let it touch Jayden again.

Biting her lip to keep from passing out, Jayden reached into her pocket and pulled out her –miraculously not broken- wand. With a shaky hand she swished and flicked it at the troll's club, envisioning it floating. "W-Wingard-dium… L-Levi… Leviosa."

The club flew out of the troll's hand and rose up high into the air, poised above its owner's head. With a groan, Jayden's strength ran out and the club dropped, with a sickening crack, onto the troll's head. It swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face with a loud crash.

Jayden coughed hoarsely; everything was beginning to go blurry. She could only faintly hear Hermione's cries, and she grinned up weakly at her. "H-hey… d-did you… s-see it?"

"Yeah," Hermione sniffed, "you were absolutely brilliant, Jayden." She gave the small girl a watery smile. "Y-you really are my knight in shining armor."

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made both girls look up. Someone had heard them! Or at least, they had heard the large racket that the troll had made. A moment later Professor McGonagall came bursting into the bathroom, closely followed by Professors Snape and Quirrell. Jayden snickered feebly when Quirrell looked at the troll and let out a faint whimper. He sat down on an unbroken toilet, clutching his heart.

Professor McGonagall quickly spotted them and rushed over. Her face turned white as she looked at the troll, and then Jayden. "Severus, go get Poppy. Now. Ms. Potter is hurt badly." She turned to the two girls, kneeling down beside them. "What on earth happened here?"

"I… it's my fault, Professor!" Hermione burst out.

"Ms. Granger!"

"If I wasn't in here, Jayden wouldn't have been here, and she wouldn't have been h-hurt."

"T-that's not… t-true…" Jayden said faintly. She gave the professor a pained smile, although it looked more like a grimace. "H-Hermione's not… at f-fault. R-Ron said… mean stuff. Hermione w-was… c-crying… in here. I c-came –" She paused abruptly to cough, her ribs aching in protest.

"Easy there, Potter. No need to strain yourself. Just try and stay awake," Professor McGonagall said gently, patting the injured girl's hand. "Ms. Granger, you take over now."

Hermione ran her fingers through Jayden's messy hair. "It's as she said, Professor… Ron was mad that I could do the Wingardium Leviosa spell. He called me some names, and I ran in here for a good cry. And then Jayden came in to comfort me." She gave Jayden a fond, worried look. "My little knight…"

"N-not little," Jayden murmured, her eyelids growing heavy. Hermione immediately patted her cheek.

"You c-can't fall asleep, Jayden! Madam Pomfrey will be here any minute!"

"'kay…" Jayden snuggled her head further into Hermione's lap.

"A-anyhow," Hermione's cheeks flushed. "We were talking and then from out of nowhere the troll came in. We tried the door, but it was locked. I… I froze up a few times and Jayden… she paid the price. She was protecting me when it flung her into the wall." Hermione hung her head. "She was so amazing, Professor. Even in that much pain, she managed to do the 'Wingardium Leviosa' spell and knocked it out with its own club!"

"'s no b-big…"

"On the contrary, Ms. Potter. Not many first years could have taken on a full grown mountain troll and lived. Especially when protecting a friend," Professor McGonagall said, a touch of amazement coloring her voice.

"Best friend," Jayden whispered. Her eyelids fluttered shut of their own accord, making Hermione gasp in fear.

"Jayden?! Come on Jay, don't joke around!" she cried worriedly. "Wake up, please!"

"Don't worry, Ms. Granger," Madam Pomfrey had arrived, and was now scanning over Jayden's prone form. She tsked. "Kids these days. Ms. Potter's lucky she's not dead. In any case, let's get her to the infirmary. I'll get her fixed up, but she'll be quite sore for a few days. Honestly, fighting a troll…"

"So she'll be okay?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Of course. Mending broken bones is my specialty." With a flick of her wand, Jayden's unconscious form was levitated onto a magicked stretcher and wheeled away. Hermione made to follow, but Professor McGonagall stopped her.

"Professor?"

"You won't be allowed to see her until tomorrow. You can visit her after classes," Professor McGonagall said sympathetically. "She's quite courageous. When you see her, let her know that she's won Gryffindor thirty points for bravery."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione whispered. "Umm… if there's anything else..?"

"No, no. Go on, go get some sleep now." Professor McGonagall waved her off, and Hermione ran off to the tower to catch some much needed rest, praying all night that her friend would be okay.

The next day Hermione all but ran to the Hospital Wing after classes, wanting to see if Jayden was alright. "Jayden!"

"Shh!" Madam Pomfrey shushed her. "This is still the Hospital Wing, you must be quiet!"

"Oops, sorry," Hermione bit her lip and walked over to where her friend lay in bed. Her eyes welled up with tears; Jayden looked positively awful. Her leg was up in a cast, her wrist was bandaged up, and a large white bandage was wrapped around her head, making her pale skin look even paler in comparison. Short tufts of black hair poked through the wrappings, making Hermione giggle slightly. Nothing could tame her friend's hair, not even a trip to the Hospital Wing.

"H-hey…"

Hermione started visibly when two emerald eyes caught her gaze. "Jayden, you're awake!" she whispered happily. She was about to pounce on the smaller girl and give her a large hug, but stopped at the last second. That wouldn't be good; Jayden was still recovering. Instead, she gingerly wrapped her arms around her friend's waist.

"Hi H-Hermione, how are you?" Jayden mumbled.

"Silly, I should be asking you that," Hermione said softly as she sat down in a chair beside Jayden's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"S-sore. E-everything hurts," Jayden confessed. Hermione fought hard to keep the tears from falling. It was her fault that Jayden was hurt in the first place.

"I'm –"

"If you s-say sorry, I'm going to s-smack you upside the h-head," Jayden firmly said. "It's not your fault. I-I'm glad you're okay. I couldn't live with m-myself if you got hurt."

"B-but-"

"No b-buts, okay?" Jayden gave Hermione a tender look. "I'm your kn-knight, remember? It's my job to k-keep you safe and out of d-danger."

"Oh Jayden…" Letting out a tiny sob, Hermione buried her head in Jayden's neck and began to cry. Jayden awkwardly patted her head.

"H-Hermione, don't cry. Please, I'm okay, r-really."

"But you could've died because of me!" Hermione wailed. "If I hadn't of been th-there, you wouldn't of been in th-there, and then you would be okay instead of stuck in… in this hospital bed and in pain!"

"Hermione…"

"A-and you'll miss class because of me, and Quidditch, and- and you could've died!"

"Hermione."

"And I'm just really, really, really sor-"

"Hermione!"

Hermione visibly jumped in her chair. "Y-yeah?" she whispered. Jayden gave her a small smile.

"You're r-rambling. I already told you that it was okay. I k-kept you safe, that's all that matters," she said softly. "Besides, I'll be let out in a w-week or so, so I won't miss that much h-homework. You'll grab it for me, right?"

Hermione nodded vehemently. "Of course I will! It's the least I can do to thank you for protecting me from the troll." She looked at Jayden with a strange look in her eye, making the smaller girl squirm and look down at her hands. Jayden gasped when Hermione's hands covered hers.

"H-Hermione? What are you…?" Jayden's voice died off; Hermione's soft lips were pressed against her cheek, making her feel tingly all over. Hermione pulled away a few seconds later, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Jayden?" she asked amusedly.

"Guh…" She kissed me, Jayden thought dazedly as she brought her fingers to her cheek. Just on the cheek, but she still kissed me! Jayden looked up at her friend, who had a large grin on her face.

Hermione let out a tiny giggle. "Are you alright, Jay? You look a bit dazed."

"I-I-I'm f-fine!" Jayden squeaked. She cleared her throat, trying to ignore Hermione's muffled snickers. "S-so, are you going to go back to the d-dormitory any time soon?"

"Well, actually…" Hermione reached into her bookbag and dug around, finally taking out a single book. "I thought I'd bring you something to read since you're going to be cooped up in here for a bit.

"Which one?"

"It's William Shakespeare's _Othello_. I thought you'd enjoy it while I'm in class," Hermione said as she placed the book on Jayden's lap. Jayden gasped with delight and immediately picked it up, hugging it to herself.

"I h-haven't read this in ages! Thanks, Hermione!"

"Mmm, it's nothing, really," Hermione said, somewhat shyly. Jayden beamed at her.

"It's not n-nothing! Really, thanks so much! I'll make sure to g-give it back as soon as I'm done." Jayden grinned as an idea popped into her mind; she beckoned Hermione to come closer and, mustering up her courage, gave Hermione a chaste kiss on the cheek to convey her gratitude. It was Hermione's turn to blush this time.

"Do you want to get started on it now?" Hermione asked after seeing Jayden gaze at the book longingly.

"Umm… actually, I w-was wondering if you'd like to read it with me," Jayden said softly. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to."

"G-great!" Jayden began to move over so that Hermione could sit beside her, but stopped when her ribs protested the movement. She let out a soft whimper and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to subside.

"Jayden!"

"I'm a-alright, just give me a minute," Jayden gasped out.

Hermione shook her head and climbed into the bed beside Jayden. She curled around the smaller girl, being careful not to hurt her. Once they were settled, Jayden rested her head on Hermione's shoulder with a content sigh.

"You alright?" Hermione whispered.

"Yeah."

"Okay then." Hermione kissed the top of Jayden's head before picking up the book and beginning to read. "Tush! Never tell me; I take it much unkindly that thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this…"

* * *

A.N.: Okay, finally done this chapter! As you can tell from the ending, I'm a bit of a Shakespeare nerd, and I can tell you right now that this isn't the last you'll see of his works. I know some of you are wondering, "Why the hell did she do that to Jayden?!" so I'll explain myself. In the book, I found it highly unrealistic that Harry got out of the situation without a scratch on him, so I decided to change it a bit. And seeing as the knight must always protect the princess…

Anyhow, I hope you all aren't out for my head now. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter; just consider it all your Halloween present! If you catch any mistakes that I made –I couldn't see any, but then again it's late and my eyes are burning- please let me know so that I can correct them. Reviews are always appreciated!


	10. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story! And the first bit has enough fluff to kill an elephant!

A.N.: It's been a bit more then two weeks, I believe, so sorry for the lack of updates. Again. I'm not very good at keeping a schedule apparently. All I can say is that I've been very busy. Also, I met this really nice girl, so wish me luck! Now, I'm going to try to keep the review response section as short as possible so that we can get on with the story!

scout-01: I'm glad you like my story. I'm not a big fan of Ron either, but I'm trying to keep my biases out of my story. As for why Jayden has a cast on, I figure that even though the bone is mended, it still needs to set and heal for a day or so.

Sintharas: I've never been called a genius before, so thanks for the ego boost. It made me feel really good about myself as a writer. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

LordNerewar: Don't worry, I can tell you right now that I will never, I repeat, never have sexual abuse in my story. You're right, it's positively foul and writers should never use it simply as a plot device.

DukeBrymin: You caught me again! I cringed, and then laughed when I saw the spelling mistake. It's been fixed now; boy, that was a bad one. You seem to like catching my spelling mistakes, so have at it!

Alchemist PAC: Your review made me laugh when I was ready to cry, and I have no words to describe how thankful I am to you for that.

Reader458: *hugs back* Thanks. I'm really glad you liked the chapter, and I hope you like this one as well.

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a friend –you know who you are- for helping me out with the story, and to Alchemist PAC for making me feel better. The ninth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One is for you guys.

* * *

_"You alright?" Hermione whispered._

_"Yeah__."_

_"Okay then." Hermione kissed the top of Jayden's head before picking up the book and beginning to read. "Tush! Never tell me; I take it much unkindly that thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this…"_

* * *

"Honestly H-Hermione, I'm fine!"

"You were attacked by a troll. You had three broken ribs, a broken leg, a sprained wrist, and a concussion, as well as numerous scratches and bruises. You are not fine!"

Jayden pouted. "But –"

"Back in the bed. Now! No buts!"

Grumbling in defeat, Jayden crawled back into her bed stiffly. It had been a week since the troll incident and two days since she had been discharged from the Hospital Wing with strict orders from Madam Pomfrey not to overdo it, and Hermione had been fussing about her the entire time. Jayden thought it was cute how Hermione would try and feed her, fluff her pillows, study, do her homework, and everything else all at once, but wished that her friend would stop blaming her for what had happened. It was no one's fault, after all.

"There." Hermione Granger stood at the foot of her bed, a caring look on her face. Ever since Jayden had saved her, the two girls had grown much closer. "Now, is there anything you need at all?"

"Out of the bed?" Jayden asked hopefully.

"Haha, no."

"Darn."

Hermione smiled, sitting down beside Jayden and patting her hand lightly. "It's for your own good and you know it. How are your ribs feeling?"

"Sore," Jayden grumbled. "And Quidditch is s-starting soon. There's a match on S-Saturday!"

"Aww, my poor knight," Hermione said sympathetically. "Does it still hurt a lot?"

"A bit…"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jayden looked at Hermione again, puppy dog eyes in place. "Y-you could let me out of the bed? P-please?"

Smirking, Hermione shielded her eyes and shook her head no. "It's not going to happen, you might as well just give up now. Madam Pomfrey told me that you weren't allowed to get out of bed or strain yourself, so you're not moving."

Jayden rolled her eyes and turned to face Hermione, only to let out a pained hiss and clutch her ribs. Hermione was instantly by her side, easing her back against the pillow. The girl glared at Jayden. "What did I just finish saying?"

"N-not to move," Jayden gasped out. She squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for the pain to pass.

"You idiot…" Hermione shook her head and reached for her bag that was on the floor. After digging around for a few seconds, she pulled out a small jar. "You're lucky Madam Pomfrey gave me this when I visited the Hospital Wing this morning. You can be so stubborn sometimes."

"W-what is it?" Jayden asked, eyeing the jar suspiciously.

"Pain relieving cream made for patients who can't stay still." The girl glared at Jayden, making her smile sheepishly. "And no, you don't get a choice in this."

"U-uhh…" Jayden blushed and shook her head quickly. "N-no thanks, Hermione," she squeaked. "I'm perfectly f-fine – owww! What was that for?!" she yelped, her leg throbbing where Hermione had pressed down lightly.

"I was proving a point," Hermione said smugly. "Now put your arm out; I'll do your wrist first."

Jayden complied meekly and stuck out her hand, her blush steadily deepening as she felt Hermione's fingers rub the cream onto her wrist. It was cold, but the pain disappeared almost instantly. And the tingles that came whenever Hermione touched her appeared…

"Does it still hurt?" Hermione asked softly, switching from Jayden's wrist to her injured leg.

"N-no… it feels good." Jayden was sure that her face was bright red by now.

Hermione tsked as she began to massage Jayden's leg. "You know, you don't need to be embarrassed Jayden. I'm your friend, and you saved my life. I'm more than happy to help you out."

"Mmm…" Jayden's cheeks burned as she sunk back into her pillow, a soft sigh escaping her. Hermione's hands left her leg –the tingles didn't leave though- and moved up to her torso. She closed her eyes when they slipped under her shirt and began to rub in the cream. The burning pain melted away under Hermione's gentle touch, and Jayden hummed in appreciation.

Hermione's hands moved up an inch, only to stop. Jayden gulped when she felt an inquisitive finger trace a scar along her rib. That one had been made when Uncle Vernon had gotten mad at her from tracking mud into the house.

"J-Jayden..?"

"It's nothing." Jayden slipped Hermione's hands out from under her shirt.

"But –"

"It's nothing, r-really Hermione," Jayden said, looking away. Hermione frowned.

"It doesn't feel like nothing…"

"Umm…" Jayden bit her lip. "I'll…. I'll tell you someday, Hermione. I d-don't want to talk about it," she said finally.

Sighing, Hermione nodded. "You never want to talk about it, Jayden," she whispered.

"Mmm…"

Hermione let out a shaky breath before lying down and wrapping an arm around Jayden's waist, mindful of the bruises. "You'll talk eventually," she muttered softly.

"Mnn…" Not likely, Jayden thought, snuggling up to her friend as her eyelids began to grow heavy. If I'm lucky, you'll never have to know about it. She snuggled back against Hermione and drifted off to sleep.

By the time Saturday had rolled around, Jayden was feeling completely fine, although her movements were still a little stiff. The weather at Hogwarts turned cold. Very cold. The grounds were covered in frost, and the wind made it feel like steel knives were stabbing them. It didn't help matters that the Hogwarts uniforms were thin, and that the girls had to wear skirts. Well, not Jayden, but still… However, the Great Hall was warm and full of the delicious smell of sausage and eggs, and the excited chatter of everyone looking forward to the Quidditch match about to take place. Speaking of which…

"You've got to eat some breakfast."

"I don't want anything."

"Just a bit of toast," Hermione pleaded.

"I'm not hungry."

Jayden felt terrible. In an hours time she'd be walking onto the pitch in front of the entire school. She really didn't want to fly hundreds of feet up in the air, freezing her butt off, in front of everyone! What if she screwed up and couldn't catch the Snitch? What if her team lost? Would the entire Gryffindor house hate her?

"You're going to need your strength," Ron said. "Seekers are always the ones that get aimed for by the other team."

After Ron had apologized to Hermione for what he had said, as well as admit that it had been him who had locked the troll in the bathroom –for which Hermione had yelled at him for hours- he and Hermione had entered a sort of relationship. Not quite a friendship, but they tolerated each other for Jayden's sake.

"T-thanks, Ron…" Jayden said, feeling absolutely terrible. She blinked, and a piece of toast was hovering in front of her mouth, courtesy of Hermione.

"Eat it? Please, for me?" Hermione asked, puppy dog eyes in place.

Jayden sighed, a tiny smile on her face as she took a bite. Hermione was such a cheater, stealing her puppy dog eyes.

By eleven o' clock the whole school seemed to be in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Jayden gulped nervously as Hermione and Ron left her side to join the other Gryffindors in the stands, although Hermione only left after giving her a kiss on the cheek first and a 'good luck Jayden, I'm rooting for you.'

As a surprise for Jayden, her friends Hermione, Lavender, Parvati, and Neville had painted a banner on a sheet that said 'Knight of Gryffindor'. Lavender, who was good at drawing, had painted a large Gryffindor lion and an armored knight riding it. Then Hermione had performed a small but tricky charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

Meanwhile, Jayden and the rest of her team were in the changing rooms, changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes. After a not-so-rousing speech from Wood, the team made their way onto the Quidditch pitch, people cheering as they walked over to the middle of the pitch.

Oh my god, I'm going to die, Jayden thought as she mounted her broom.

"Now, I want a good, clean game, all of you," Madam Hooch, the referee said. Jayden noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, a sixth year named Marcus Flint. She also noticed, to her chagrin, that she was the smallest player on the pitch.

"Everybody ready? Yes?" Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle, and everybody took off high into the air. The bright red Quaffle was tossed up, and immediately Angelina snagged it.

"And Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor snatches the Quaffle! An excellent Chaser she is, I might add, and rather attractive too -"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Jayden snickered from her place in the air. Lee Jordan, Fred and George's friend, was doing the commentary. She knew now why Professor McGonagall was supervising him.

Ignoring the game going on around her, Jayden flew around the pitch, searching for the slightest glimpse of gold. This was basically the game plan that she and Wood had come up with. She was to keep out of the way until she caught sight of the Snitch. Hopefully she would be ignored by the other players and not attacked until she could find the Snitch and win the game.

"Gryffindor scores!!" Lee's voice shouted over the pitch. "Well done, Angelina!"

Jayden did a loop-the-loop in excitement. They had scored! "Yeah Angelina!" she shouted.

"Jayden Potter! Do that again and I'll personally grab a broom, fly up there, and kill you!" Hermione's voice screamed from the Gryffindor stand.

Jayden blushed and waved in apology, only to have to dive down as a Bludger came whizzing her way. She sped towards one of the Weasley brothers, who beat the Bludger furiously in the direction of Marcus Flint.

"You okay, Jayden?" he yelled.

"Yeah!"

"Slyterin in possession!" Lee Jordan said. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the –wait a moment- was that the Snitch?"

What?

Jayden swung her broom around as she caught sight of the Snitch; it was speeding across the field, passing Adrian Pucey, who had dropped the Quaffle in shock as it passed by his head.

A rush of excitement ran through Jayden as she tore after the Snitch. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it too, and was now flying after it as well. They were neck and neck as they chased after it. Apparently the game had stopped; all the Chasers were floating in midair to watch instead of taking the chance to score.

Jayden was faster than Higgs; her broom was edging him out, her hand was stretched, ready to grab hold of the tiny Golden Snitch –

WHAM!

"Jayden!!"

Jayden let out a shriek as she was bodily checked by Marcus Flint, her broom spinning off course with her hanging on for dear life.

"Foul!" Madam Hooch blew her whistle. She flew up to Flint and spoke with him angrily before awarding a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor.

Rubbing her bruised side gingerly, Jayden looked around. In all the confusion, the Snitch had disappeared again. She looked up; Hermione's pale face stood out clearly in the stands. Jayden waved at her that she was fine, and she saw with a blush that Hermione clearly looked relieved.

Up in the announcer box, Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"So, after that disgusting bit of cheating –"

"Jordan!"

"I mean, after that revolting foul –"

"Jordan, I'm warning you –"

"All right, all right," Jayden grinned at this, "the game goes on after Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker. The penalty is awarded to Spinnet, who gets it in no trouble…"

Jayden tuned him out again, continuing her search for the Snitch once more. It was when she did another loop-the-loop –to Hermione's outraged screams- that it happened. Her broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch in the middle of the loop, nearly throwing her off. Jayden flipped back over so that she was right side up once more and gripped the broom tightly, afraid to fall off.

The broom bucked, as if it was trying to toss her off. And then it flipped her upside down. It was then that Jayden realized that her Nimbus was completely out of control. And trying to kill her!

"Hermione, help!!" she screamed as it bucked again, this time nearly unseating her. "It's trying to kill me!" The Nimbus started zig-zagging through the air, rolling over and over, with her only barely managing to hold on. Then the crowd gasped, and Hermione's scream filled the air. Jayden's broom had given a wild jerk, and Jayden had swung off it. She was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

"Someone help!" she screamed.

"Oh my god, what's happening to her?" Lavender whispered from her place in the stands. "Did Flint do it when he blocked her?"

"Can't have," Hagrid, who had showed up to watch the game, said, his voice shaky. "Nothin' can interfere with a broomstick 'cept powerful dark magic –no kid could do that, 'specially not while playing a match."

At these words, Hermione snatched the pair of binoculars hanging from around Ron's neck and started looking frantically around the stands.

"Oi, what're you doing?" Ron wheezed, grey-faced.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped. "It's Snape! Look!"

While Ron looked through the binoculars, Hermione looked up at Jayden. The smaller girl was staring back, tears staining her pale, terrified face.

"Hold on, Jayden," she mouthed, willing Jayden to hold on just a little longer.

"Snape's watching her and muttering," Ron said, his eyes wide.

"He's jinxing the broom," Hermione growled angrily.

"What should we do?"

"Leave it to me."

Hermione disappeared down the stairs.

Jayden whimpered as she held onto the broomstick for dear life. It was vibrating so hard; it was getting hard to hold on. Underneath her the Weasley twins circled, ready to catch her if she fell. They had tried to pull her to safety, but every time they had tried the broom would jump higher, keeping them from rescuing her. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times during this period, not that anyone had noticed.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered as he watched Jayden through the binoculars.

"Hermione!" Jayden cried out as the broom started to swing her back and forth. "H-help! P-please!"

Cursing in fear, Hermione made her way up to the teachers' stand and ducked down beneath the bleachers. Reaching the spot where Snape was, she pulled out her wand and whispered a spell. Bright blue flames shot from her wand and onto Snape's robes.

It took about thirty seconds or so for Snape to realize that he was on fire, but when he did he stood up, frantically trying to beat it out. Hermione hid a wince when Snape bumped into Quirrell, sending him sprawling to the floor. She scooped the fire off of Snape's robes when he wasn't looking and ran back to the Gryffindor stands, looking up at Jayden hopefully.

Up in the air, Jayden sighed in relief as her broom stopped vibrating. She clambered back onto it, still shaking from her death scare.

"Thank y-you, Hermione," she whispered, knowing that the bushy-haired girl had saved her.

"She's okay!" Wood yelled, "Let's get playing again!"

The game continued again with Gryffindor in possession. Jayden, still a little shaken up, was searching once more for the Snitch. She spotted it darting around the ground and dove for it. Higgs followed her closely as they got closer and closer to the ground, but he wasn't able to gain any ground on her. Through the corner of her eye, Jayden saw Higgs pull away. The ground was only a few feet away, and she heard the gasps that the crowd was giving off.

"Jayden, pull out!" Hermione yelled.

Jayden reached out, ignoring her mind's screams for her to pull up before she became a splat on the ground. Closer… closer… got it! She pulled out of the dive, her fee barely skimming the ground. The Snitch was fluttering its wings wildly in her grasp.

"I-I got it! I got the Snitch!" she shouted, waving it above her head triumphantly.

"And with that spectacular dive, Gryffindor wins the game one hundred and seventy to sixty!" Lee Jordan yelled, his voice blaring across the field.

Jayden flew down, stumbling as her feet touched the ground. She would have fallen, but she was caught by two thin arms and pulled into a fierce hug.

"H-hey Hermione, did you see?! I did it, I caught the Snitch!" she exclaimed, nearly bouncing up and down with glee.

"Yeah, I saw. You were absolutely fantastic, Jayden!" Hermione said, smiling softly. "Are you sure you're okay though? That was quite a scare when your broom acted up."

"I'm fine, see?" Jayden spun around, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Mmm, yes, I see," Hermione murmured. She inspected Jayden closely; she was grateful beyond belief to see that her friend was alright.

"Uhh…" Jayden shivered, her heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush. Or Hermione's intense gaze, either one. "Can we g-get out of here?" she asked softly. "The crowd's heading this way."

"Sure," Hermione said, smiling. She laughed when Jayden grabbed her hand, and the two girls ran past the cheering crowd back towards the castle, only pausing for a second when Jayden shoved the Snitch into a delighted Wood's hands. They finally came to a stop in front of a tall tree that rested by the lake.

"You- you're so amazing," Hermione said breathlessly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Hermione nodded. She grinned, running her hands through Jayden's windblown hair. "You're also seriously sweaty."

"I-I am?" Jayden took a tiny sniff of her Quidditch uniform and scrunched her nose up. "I am."

"You look cute though, in a scrawny, sweaty way," Hermione offered.

Blushing, Jayden retorted, "a-and you look cute in that b-bundled up, half-frozen kind of way." She tugged on Hermione's scarf playfully.

"Mmm, my tiny, little, small, vertically challenged, did I mention tiny –"

"Hey!" Jayden growled mock-angrily. She shivered as the cool November air chilled her heated body. She hadn't changed out of her uniform before they had taken off, and she was beginning to regret it.

"Heads up, Jayden."

Jayden looked up just in time to see a pair of clothes being tossed at her. She smiled gratefully and darted behind the tree to change. Of course, she did check to make sure that no one could see her before doing so.

"L-listen, Jayden… I… I'm really glad you're okay," Hermione said softly once she had come out from behind the tree. "You really scared me out there."

"I didn't mean –"

"I know you didn't," Hermione interrupted, "but I was really… really scared. I thought you were going to fall, and, well…" She leaned forward, kissing Jayden chastely on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered. She kissed the shocked girl again, this time on the forehead.

Jayden stood there, absolutely stunned. Her hand trembled as it touched her cheek; Hermione's soft lips on her flushed skin had felt like heaven…

"Oh, don't look so shocked, Jayden." Hermione giggled at Jayden's dazed state. "You act like no one's kissed you before."

Jayden flinched unconsciously and began to rub her arm. "U-umm…"

Hermione's eyes widened in realization as her brain began to piece everything together: Jayden's personality, her flinching when anyone touched her, the rubbing of her arm whenever she was nervous, and the way she would stutter every time she spoke. It all added up… "Oh my god… Jayden…" She reached out to her friend, only to stop when Jayden backed away.

"Oh Jayden… you haven't, have you," Hermione murmured, her heart breaking. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"…" Jayden looked down. She knew, there was no doubt about it. Hermione was too smart not to have figured it out by now.

"Jayden, who… are you being… abused?" Hermione asked gently, cautiously.

"No!"

Well, that wasn't a sure giveaway at all, Jayden berated herself. A few tears slipped from her eyes, and she furiously wiped them away. If Uncle Vernon found out, she was going to die. No ifs, ands, or buts. She would be beaten to within an inch of her life, and then some more, and then she'd be locked away in her cupboard and she'd never be able to do magic again, or go to Hogwarts, or see Hermione…

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Hermione soothed. "It'll be okay." A soft thumb brushed the tears away from Jayden's cheeks. Jayden close her eyes and shook her head hard.

"N-no it won't. Y-you can't t-tell anyone, o-okay?" she whispered. Jayden grabbed Hermione's hand and squeezed it hard, looking at her friend pleadingly. "You h-have to promise me, H-Hermione, you won't t-tell anyone!"

"Jayden, we have to tell someone," Hermione protested. "You're getting beaten! We can't just let them –"

"No, I'm not!" Jayden shook her head, her throat beginning to close up.

"Prove it! Show me your back then!" Hermione said angrily. "Show me your stomach! Tell me why I can still see your ribs even though we've been here for three months now, and why you're so tiny!"

"I-I-I…" Jayden's eyes darted around, as if searching for the answer. "I c- don't want to talk about it."

"You don't, or you can't?" Hermione retorted.

Jayden backed up against the tree, nearing hyperventilation. "S-stop it! L-leave me alone! I'm sorry!" she cried. "I-I'm sorry, okay?! P-please don't hit me, p-please…"

"J-Jayden?"

Jayden sniffled and pressed herself closer to the tree, shaking her head furiously. "I'm sorry, I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry…"

Hermione rubbed her eyes dry and wrapped her arms around her friend, ignoring the feeble protests. She sat down and leaned against the tree, holding Jayden's shaking body tight as the girl fought to escape. "It's okay, Jayden," she said hoarsely. "I'm sorry; please don't be s-scared of me. We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to."

Eventually, Jayden settled down in Hermione's arms. She could do nothing but nod into her friend's neck, her tears soaking the other girl's shirt. They stayed that way for a little over an hour, each lost in their own thoughts, until Jayden let out a tiny groan. Hermione immediately snapped to attention.

"You alright, Jayden?" she asked worriedly.

"Mmm… yeah… just don't stop…" Jayden's eyelids fluttered closed, her fingers releasing their death grip on Hermione's shirt.

"Stop what?"

"That…" Jayden bit back a moan as Hermione continued to stroke her hair, running her fingers through it and barely grazing her scalp with her nails. It felt so good, and it was definitely taking her mind off of the situation at hand. Not to mention that her entire head felt tingly…

"Ohh, you like that?" Hermione asked, a smile evident in her voice. In response, Jayden buried her head deeper into Hermione's neck, nodding.

"Listen, Jayden, I really think we should tell someone. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, anyone at all so that they can help you."

Jayden stiffened up as her breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as her mind began to think up all of the consequences; it was getting hard to breathe again…

"Or not! It was just an idea!" Hermione said hastily as she saw the small girl's face pale rapidly and her breath began to come out in shuddering gasps. She started to stroke Jayden's hair again, hoping to calm her friend down.

It worked. Jayden let out a sigh, looking up hazily into Hermione's concerned brown eyes.

"You okay?"

"Mhmm…"

"Okay, good." Hermione gave Jayden a tiny smile. "I won't tell anyone, although I really think you should," she said. "But if anything, I repeat, anything at all happens –if they even lay a finger on you- you call me, owl me, whatever, and I'll be there, 'kay? If anything happens, I don't care what you say, I will tell someone."

This seemed fair to Jayden, and she nodded in agreement. She'd just have to be really careful next year to hide the bruises. The small girl bit her lip as Hermione scratched behind her ear, turning her into a puddle of goo. "Uhmm…"

Hermione giggled delightedly, and just like that the serious atmosphere disappeared. "My little knight has a weakness," she cooed. "What would happen if someone exploited it for their own gain? Say, cuddles?"

"Mhmm…"

"Good." Hermione rested her cheek on Jayden's head, and the two stared out at the lake, not saying anything but just enjoying each other's presence.

* * *

A.N.: Another chapter is done! I had such a hard time writing this one, to be honest. I'm not sure if the abuse subject should have been brought up now or later, but it seemed like a good time to me. Sorry if that ruined some of your expectations, but I felt it must be done. On another note, there was more fluff! I never thought that I would say this, but I'm really enjoying writing romance. It's really interesting to see Jayden and Hermione's relationship change and grow.

Let's see… I have eighty-three reviews now, and I really want to hit a hundred. Come on guys, I love hearing from you all! The next chapter will hopefully be out by the end of the month, but I stress hopefully, as we all know by now that I'm no good with deadlines.


	11. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story! And the first bit has enough fluff to kill an elephant!

A.N: Wow, when I said end of the month, I was waaaay off. Sorry guys, I've been really sick lately, that's all I can say for myself. On the plus side, the girl that I mentioned before? Turns out she likes me too and we're going out on a date this weekend, and I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend. Speaking of which… Help!! Anyone know any good ideas for dates?

Alchemist PAC: Thanks, and yes, my grandmother is doing much better. I suppose it's too late to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, so happy holidays! Thanks so much for your reviews, I always look forward to reading them.

DukeBrymin: I swear, every time I think you're done giving me ideas, you turn around and give me two more!

Sintharas: Thanks for the good luck, here's hoping that she'll like me back! I'm glad you enjoyed the fluff in the chapter, and we'll just have to see what happens with the topic of Jayden's abuse.

Thydude: Wow, thanks. I'm glad that you like their relationship so far. You may not review every chapter, but each review is always helpful to me. Looking forward to hearing more from you soon!

InquisitiveGeek1593: It's about freaking time you reviewed; I've been on your case for months now! Now, to answer some of your critiques. Dumbledore is basically out of the picture for now as he's not that important yet, although you're right, I should add more interactions with the teachers for Jayden. Yes, the Quidditch game was very cheesy, but I happen to like fluff :). And as for Hermione, she was already on the field when Jayden caught the Snitch. Remember, she was just making her way down from the teachers' stand; she hadn't made it back to her own yet.

TouGod: What eleven year old is going to be logical? It makes more sense to me to have her deny her abuse to me. Sure, it's okay for Harry not to say anything because he's a guy, but since Jayden's a girl, she absolutely MUST ask for help. Would you trust someone you barely knew, Head of House or not? I wouldn't. I find your explanation of putting my story on your alerts flawed and simply hilarious. If you don't like my story, stop reading it, because I can guarantee right now that you're not going to like it.

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. And now, after the unsurprisingly long wait, here is the tenth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_This seemed fair to Jayden, and she nodded in agreement. She'd just have to be really careful next year to hide the bruises. The small girl bit her lip as Hermione scratched behind her ear, turning her into a puddle of goo. "Uhmm…"_

_Hermione giggled delightedly, and just like that the serious atmosphere disappeared. "My little knight has a weakness," she cooed. "What would happen if someone exploited it for their own gain? Say, cuddles?"_

_"Mhmm…"_

_"Good." Hermione rested her cheek on Jayden's head, and the two stared out at the lake, not saying anything but just enjoying each other's presence._

* * *

After the weekend passed it was back to classes. During Defense Against the Dark Arts, Jayden noticed something odd. Professor Quirrell, although acting like his normal stuttering self, seemed a little off. Nervous, perhaps. Also, whenever he turned around to write something on the board, her scar would begin to throb dully. After the third time she closed her eyes and rubbed it in pain, Hermione called her out.

"What's wrong?" the bushy haired girl asked worriedly. "Are you hurting?"

"N-not really, it's –" a hiss escaped Jayden's mouth as she looked at the back of Quirrell's turban. "Oww…" She touched her scar, nearly expecting to see blood on her fingers.

"'It's'? It's what?" Hermione whispered.

"It's my head, it's hurting. I'm alright though, honest," Jayden added, seeing Hermione's face. "I'm s-sure it's nothing to worry about. Just a h-headache."

"M-miss P-Potter? I-is there s-something you'd l-like to share?"

Jayden looked up, her face burning. Professor Quirrell was standing right in front of her, smelling strongly of garlic like always. "N-no, s-sir!" she squeaked.

"Okay t-then." Quirrell gave Jayden's shoulder a pat before going back to his lesson. Jayden barely held in a whimper of pain as her head decided to try and split apart.

"Professor! Jayden's not feeling well!" Hermione said loudly. "Is it okay if I take her to the Hospital Wing?"

"O-oh, yes! Of c-c-course, Miss G-Granger," Professor Quirrell said.

"Thank you." Hermione put her arm around Jayden's waist and helped her out of the classroom. Jayden blushed as most of her classmates turned to stare at her as they walked out the door. The two girls stopped in front of the girls' washroom, making Jayden look at Hermione in confusion.

"Hermione, I'm fine, the headache is gone. W-why are we here? And what about class? Y-you go nuts whenever anyone even m-mentions skipping," she said, pulling out of Hermione's hold with a bit of disappointment.

"Some things are more important than class," Hermione said softly. "It's your scar, isn't it. That's what was hurting."

Sighing in defeat, Jayden nodded. "Yeah. I think it's b-because of Professor Quirrell. Whenever I look at him, my s-scar hurts." She cringed when Hermione glared at her.

"And how long has this been going on?" the other girl hissed.

"U-uhh…"

"Jayden…"

"Since the start of term!" Jayden yelped, wilting under Hermione's angry stare.

"Jayden!"

"I'm s-sorry, Hermione!" The small girl flinched, raising her arms above her head and squeezing her eyes shut. She heard Hermione sigh and felt two arms wrap around her waist, holding her tight, but not too tight. Jayden slowly relaxed, melting into the embrace.

"Honestly, Jayden, you have to tell me about these things," Hermione muttered, resting her cheek on Jayden's head. "I'm your best friend; you have to trust me with this kind of stuff, okay?" She felt Jayden nod into her neck. "Good. Now, maybe we should tell Professor Dumbledore about this. I bet you he'd know what's wrong with your scar."

"No!" Jayden shook her head fiercely. "I'm fine now, okay? I don't need –"

"Potter, Granger, is there a specific reason you're out of class, or are you both craving detention so bad that you've decided to break even more rules?" a voice sneered.

Jayden could feel her face burning as she and Hermione sprung apart. "P-Professor Snape!" she squeaked in shock. Of all the people they could've run into…

"Yes, that is my name. And your point is, Potter?" Snape said, his mouth twisted into a fierce sneer.

"I'm taking Jayden to see Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said. "She has a really bad headache."

"Heaven forbid, Potter has a headache." Snape looked positively disgusted. "Very well. We can't have our resident savior be unable to concentrate now, can we?"

As Snape turned around and left, Jayden couldn't help but notice the limp he was trying to hide. His robes billowed slightly, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of mangled flesh.

"Hermione, did you see –"

"Yeah, I saw," Hermione said tensely. "I can only think of one thing that could've done that."

"The big dog."

Hermione nodded, her brain working a mile a minute. "He must've tried to get past it at Halloween, I'm guessing. Which probably means that he was the one that let the troll in as a diversion!"

Jayden was stunned. "But he's a teacher, why w-would he –"

"I don't know, but Ron and I caught him jinxing your broom during the game," Hermione said, a frown on her face.

A similar frown was on Jayden's lips as she took in what Hermione had told her. It was hard to believe that Snape would do such a thing, even if he did dislike her. Shaking her head free of such thoughts, she turned back to Hermione. "S-so, what now?"

"Well, class ends in a few minutes, and you don't want to go to the Hospital Wing, so I'm not sure," Hermione admitted. "What would you like to do?"

"Umm…" Jayden snapped her fingers. "L-let's go visit Hagrid! He did want to see me after the match and w-we never went."

"All right, let's go." The two girls made their way down to Hagrid's hut, where they were invited in by an enthusiastic Hagrid.

"How're yeh, Jayden?" he asked as he ushered them in. "Yeh must've been shaken up after that."

"I'm fine now, H-Hagrid," Jayden said. She smiled shyly at Hermione. "Thanks to Hermione, anyways."

"It was Professor Snape," Hermione said quickly. "He was muttering and staring right at her. He was jinxing her broomstick!"

"That's rubbish. Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

Jayden bit her lip and looked at Hermione, wondering if it was okay to tell Hagrid what they thought. Hermione shrugged, and Jayden decided to go for it. Who knows, maybe Hagrid could help them out somehow.

"We found s-something today," Jayden said softly. "Snape tried to get past the t-three headed dog on Halloween. It b-bit him, and we think he's t-trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the teapot he was holding.

"How do yeh know about Fluffy?" he asked incredulously.

"F-Fluffy?" How on earth could that… that monster be named Fluffy?!

"Yeah, he's mine," Hagrid said proudly. "Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in a pub last year; I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the –"

Jayden sighed as Hagrid caught himself. Darn, so close too… she heard Hermione sigh as well.

"Don't be askin' me any more," the giant man said gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"B-but Snape's trying to steal it!" Jayden exclaimed.

"Snape's a Hogwarts teacher," Hagrid said. "He wouldn't do anythin' like that, just like he wouldn't try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, yeh two – yeh have ter stop meddlin' in things that don't concern yeh. Yeh forget that dog, an' yeh forget what it's guardin'. That's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –"

Jayden grinned as Hagrid visibly paled. "T-thanks for the clue, Hagrid!" she said cheerfully. "We'll catch you later!" She and Hermione smiled at each other as they waved goodbye to Hagrid, who looked furious with himself.

"We have a clue!" Hermione said excitedly. Jayden snickered softly; the girl was actually bouncing up and down with glee. "We have to go research this right now! Let's go to the library!"

"Umm… a-actually, I can't…"

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, a hurt look on her face. "This is what we've been waiting for, Jayden."

"I have to do some stuff," Jayden mumbled, suddenly feeling guilty. "You know, w-with Christmas coming up and all… but if you want, I can –"

"No, no, it's fine." Hermione smiled. "I understand. You know where to find me, so I'll see you later." She leaned forward and kissed Jayden on the cheek before running off to the castle, leaving Jayden standing alone.

"She k-kissed me again…" Jayden whispered to herself, a hand touching her cheek. A cold gust of wind made her yelp and take off towards the castle. The small girl made her way down a few corridors and up a few staircases, searching for what she hoped could help her. Finally, she came to a stop in front of a door, and after a few seconds of hesitation, knocked on it.

"Come in."

Gulping, Jayden entered the room. "P-professor?"

Professor McGonagall looked at her, a thin eyebrow raised questioningly. "Yes, Miss Potter? What can I do for you?"

"I-I was wondering if you c-could help me with getting some Christmas presents?" Jayden whispered quietly. She fidgeted with her fingers, looking around nervously. It was a very nice room. There was a desk in the middle and a fireplace over to the side, with a few cushy-looking chairs in front of it. A few pictures lined the wall, mostly of Professor McGonagall and the Hogwarts staff. There was also a large bookshelf that Jayden was dying to look at…

"Miss Potter?"

Jayden blushed and focused her gaze back to the professor, who was watching her. "S-sorry, Professor," she murmured.

"I assure you, it's no problem, Miss Potter."

"Jayden."

"Pardon?"

Jayden flushed slightly. "I-If you wouldn't mind, could you c-call me Jayden?" she asked.

A small smile was tugging at Professor McGonagall's lips. "Of course, Jayden. But I must call you Miss Potter while in class. It wouldn't be good for either of us if I was accused of favoring you. Now, what can I help you with?"

Jayden's jaw dropped. "Y-you'll help me?"

"Of course I will, I am your Head of House, am I not? It is my duty to help my students." Professor McGonagall gave the shocked girl a smile. "Can you repeat your question, Jayden?"

"Erm, I was j-just wondering if you could help me get some C-Christmas presents for some people," Jayden said. "I'm not sure w-where I could get them. I have the money though!" she added hastily.

"I may be of some help then. Come sit down." McGonagall led Jayden over to the fireplace, and both of them took a seat in the comfortable armchairs. "Ginger Newt, Jayden?" the professor asked, holding out a plate of lizard shaped cookies. Jayden took one and nibbled on it; she was surprised to find that they tasted quite good, despite their appearance. She quickly finished it off and helped herself to another one after looking at McGonagall for her reaction.

"They're good, aren't they? Ginger Newts are my favorite," McGonagall said, helping herself to one as well. "Now, who are you trying to get presents for?"

"Lavender, Parvati, Ron, Hagrid, and Hermione," Jayden said softly. "But I don't know where to get them from."

"What about your aunt and uncle?" McGonagall asked. "Will you be going away for the holidays?"

Jayden let out a shaky laugh. "I don't think they'd a-appreciate it too much. They're n-not fond of magic," she said, rubbing her arm. "I'll be staying here for the h-holidays." She winced as she saw the frown on the Transfiguration teacher's face; hopefully she hadn't just given herself away. Hermione would definitely have a field day if she had after all the fuss she had made about keeping her secret… well, a secret.

"I see…" Professor McGonagall stared at Jayden hard, as if deliberating something. Finally, she seemed to reach a decision. "Very well, I'm sorry to hear that. Now, the best way to go about getting presents for your friends is to use the owl catalogue."

"What's that?" Jayden asked curiously.

"It's a catalogue with various items that you can get. When you find what you want, you just send in an order form with your owl and wait for one to two weeks for delivery," the professor explained. "I have a catalogue here if you wish to take a look."

"Yes, please!"

Giving Jayden another small smile, Professor McGonagall stood up and walked over to her desk, pulling something out of one of the drawers. She handed it to Jayden, who began to skim through it eagerly. The green-eyed girl was able to pick out something for almost everyone on her gift list immediately, except for one…

"Find everything, Jayden?"

"Y-yes. Well, mostly. I t-think I'll just get Lavender, Parvati, and Ron some candy, and Hagrid would probably appreciate a-another teapot." Jayden said. Considering that she and Hermione had made him break his last one… "But I don't know w-what to get Hermione."

"What were you thinking of getting her?" McGonagall asked. Jayden blushed slightly.

"I don't know… I was thinking maybe a b-book, because she loves to read, but I d-don't know which one."

"A delightful student, Miss Granger is. One of the brightest witches I've seen in a long time," the professor said.

"That's Hermione for you…" Jayden sighed dreamily, her fingers unconsciously touching the cheek that Hermione had kissed earlier.

"Well, you know Miss Granger better than I, so I'm sure you'll find something eventually," McGonagall said. "It's getting late; you best be heading off to bed soon. Let me write down the address of a good bookstore for you to order from when you decide." She took a blank sheet of parchment from her desk and wrote down the information before handing it to Jayden.

"T-thank you very much, professor," Jayden said, smiling as she tucked the paper into her pocket. Both the teacher and student stood up, and McGonagall opened the door for her.

"It was my pleasure, Jayden," she said. "Take care now."

Jayden nodded and darted out the door, intent on going to find Hermione. Unsurprisingly, she found the girl in the library, half hidden behind a small stack of books.

"Hey, Jayden," Hermione whispered as the small girl sat down beside her. "Did you get your shopping done?"

"Yeah. D-did you find Flamel anywhere?" Jayden asked softly, mindful of the Madam Pince's wrath on anyone who dared to speak up in her library.

Hermione shook her head. "No, and it's quite frustrating actually. I'm about ready to turn in for the day. Coming?"

"Yeah." The two girls put all of the books away and headed up to their dormitory.

---

As the days passed by, Jayden noticed Hermione getting more and more excited. She hadn't found Hermione a present yet, and it was starting to drive her insane. So much so in fact that she had rarely seen Hermione other than at meals and looking for Flamel because she was off thinking about the perfect gift to get her. Unfortunately for her, the days almost seemed to fly by. It was now mid-December and the ground was covered in several feet of snow, something that Jayden wasn't overly fond of. However, she was fond of the roaring fires that were lit in the Gryffindor common room, so this was where she could be found most days after class. This was where Hermione found her warming up one day after Potions class, since Snape's classes were situated in the coldest part of the castle, the dungeons.

"Hey, Jayden," Hermione said cheerfully as she sat down beside her friend. "I haven't seen you around lately. I've missed you."

Jayden smiled as Hermione wrapped an arm around her. "I-I've been busy with Quidditch, homework, and presents, and I-I've just been trying to keep out of everyone's way since they're all running around b-because of the holidays."

Hermione frowned at this. "You know I like having you around, Jayden. It's been lonely without you."

"Yeah?"

"Of course, silly," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

Grinning, Jayden snuggled into Hermione's side. "Oh, okay. So what are you d-doing for the holidays?" she asked curiously.

"I'll be going skiing with my parents. And you?"

"I-I'll be staying here," Jayden said. There was no way she was going to Privet Drive for Christmas. She had immediately signed up on the list of students staying at Hogwarts. It would probably be the best Christmas ever, considering the fact that there would be no Dursleys around. "Ron and his brothers will be here t-too. His mum and dad are going to visit his o-older brother Charlie in Romania."

"Oh." Hermione did not look happy. "Well, all right then. Make sure you stay out of trouble, okay? And don't listen to Ron… stupid jerk; she's my best friend, not his. He better not do anything to her," she muttered the last bit under her breath, but Jayden heard.

Flushing, the small girl gave Hermione a suspicious stare. "You… you're jealous! Of Ron!" she exclaimed, her heart skipping a beat at the thought. "A-aren't you!"

"U-uhh…" Hermione blushed heavily.

Jayden grinned, feeling positively giddy at the prospect of Hermione being jealous of someone. Because of her!

"Well, maybe just a little," Hermione admitted. "B-but he's always hanging around you! He likes you!" she defended herself.

"O-oh?" Jayden blushed darkly herself. Not at the fact that Ron liked her, but that anyone could like her like that. Ron liking her was sort of creepy though…

"Jayden? Please tell me you don't like him like that!" Hermione exclaimed, a good amount of panic in her voice. "I-I mean, he's a nice guy and all, and you, and I thought you liked –"

Jayden's laugh cut off Hermione's rambles. "N-no, you got it wrong Hermione! I don't like Ron like that!" She giggled at the absurdity of the idea. "That's silly. I m-mean, I like him as a friend, yes, but he's not –" Uh oh. Her eyes widened and her hands covered her mouth, preventing her from spilling out her crush's name.

"Oh?" A large grin spread across Hermione's face. "Ron's not who? You like someone don't you?"

"N-n-no!!"

"You do!" The smile turned predatory. "As your best friend, you have to tell me, you know."

"I-I-I… oh l-look, free books!" Jayden exclaimed, pointing behind Hermione. The chocolate-eyed girl spun around in confusion, giving Jayden the head start that she needed. "Bye, Hermione!"

"Jayden, you rat!"

Laughing, Jayden ran off down the corridor. She turned the corner, only to run into something hard and fall on her behind. Oww, she thought, rubbing her shoulder.

"Potter! Watch where you're going!"

Jayden looked up and her jaw dropped. She had run into Malfoy!

"Well?" The blond looked particularly stingy today.

"Oh! S-sorry, M-Malfoy!" Jayden scrambled up and ducked past him before he could do anything. She ran into the Great Hall… and gaped in shock.

The Hall looked spectacular! There was a whole bunch of holly and mistletoe all along the walls and in the air, and at least a dozen gigantic Christmas trees around the room, decorated from top to bottom with shiny ornaments and real-looking icicles. The room also had many wreathes on the walls, and sparkling candles, hundreds of them, floated in midair, bathing the room with a soft glow.

"Caught you!" Jayden let out a yelp as two arms wrapped around her waist. She panicked and began to struggle, only for the person to tighten their grip.

"Easy there, Jayden, it's just me. You're safe," Hermione's voice whispered in her ear. Jayden relaxed into her hold, smiling softly at Hermione's protectiveness.

"That was a sneaky trick, you know," Hermione continued, smiling herself. "You're not off the hook yet though." Her breath tickled Jayden's ear, making her giggle. She turned around in Hermione's arms and wrapped her own arms around the other girl's neck.

"You s-said you thought I liked someone. Who is it?" she asked curiously.

"U-uhh, that is… no one?" Hermione stammered.

Uncharacteristically, Jayden let out a tiny smirk. "If you say so, Hermione." She stared up into Hermione's eyes, smirking as the older girl gulped. "I think we should get g-going, don't you?" she whispered.

"Y-yeah?"

"Mhmm," Jayden hummed. Something red caught her eye and she grinned. She placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders and leaned up; her heart felt like bursting as she gave Hermione a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Jayden, wha –"

"M-mistletoe," Jayden said softly, reverting back to her shy personality. She let go of Hermione and stepped away from her. "I-I… you know, t-tradition and all…"

"Mmm." Hermione's eyes glinted, and Jayden licked her lips nervously as Hermione moved closer, her eyes closing. Oh my god, she's actually going to kiss me, she thought in shock. Please, please, please…

Soft lips touched her forehead, making Jayden's eyes open slightly. Oh… sort of disappointing, but Hermione did still kiss her!

"Were you expecting something else?" Hermione asked amusedly. Jayden's blush could have rivaled a tomato.

"N-no! No! Not at all!"

"Alright then." Hermione's smile didn't fade, and Jayden arched an eyebrow in confusion. "You're pouting. It's cute," Hermione snickered.

"Am not."

"Yes you are. It's adorable," Hermione cooed. She ruffled Jayden's hair playfully. "We should go do something before I leave for the holdidays."

"Like?"

"Well, we do need to find Nicolas Flamel," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I guess we could go to the library and see if we can find him again."

"B-but we've gone through hundreds of b-books already!" Jayden protested.

It was true too. She, Hermione, and Ron had been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip. The problem was that they had no idea who Flamel was or what he could've done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in any of the obvious ones, like 'Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century', or 'Notable Magical Names of Our Time'. And the library was huge! Tens of thousands of books were stacked in thousands of shelves. It would take a century just to look through all of them!

"I know, but we could get lucky sooner or later," Hermione said.

"B-but Hermione, he's not in there!" Jayden protested. "I mean, maybe he's in the R-Restricted Section…" Unfortunately for them, to get any book from the Restricted Section required a signed note from a teacher, and Jayden highly doubted that any teacher would give them one, even Professor McGonagall. Why? Because those books were the ones that contained powerful Dark magic never taught at Hogwarts and only read by older students studying advanced DADA.

Jayden nearly drooled at the thought of being able to get her hands on the restricted books. Not that she would do bad things with the knowledge, but still, all that knowledge just waiting to be learned…

"You're thinking about books again, aren't you," Hermione said, her lips quirking up. "I know; you have the same expression that I do when I think about them."

"Maybe just a t-tiny bit," Jayden said. She looked at Hermione hopefully. "No Flamel searching today? P-please? You're leaving tomorrow; w-we should do something together." Jayden's eyes widened. "I-I mean, if you want to! You don't have to s-spend your day with me –"

Hermione shushed her. "Honestly Jayden, you worry too much. I'd love to spend time with you. What would you like to do?"

"Anything you like," Jayden replied.

"Oh? And if I said I wanted to lay by the fireplace with you and cuddle, with a good book thrown in?" Hermione asked curiously.

Jayden smiled. "Sure! Just let me grab my book then."

* * *

A.N.: I hope you liked the fluffiness of this chapter, as well as the interaction between Jayden and McGonagall. The next chapter should hopefully, I repeat, hopefully be out in time for Christmas. We all know how good I am with deadlines.

On another note, I hit a hundred reviews! And I got my first flame! Yay! What's a good story without a flame or two? See the Review Responses above to check it out.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story! And the first bit has enough fluff to kill an elephant!

A.N.: Sorry I haven't updated in forever. It's been a really tough few months for me, and I just haven't been able to write as much as I'd like. Lots of stuff has happened: I messed up my wrist, my grandma was diagnosed with COPD, and I moved out of my father's place. Anyhow, I hope you can all forgive me. Updates should be once a month, but no promises.

Sintharas: I'm so glad you liked the chapter! Sorry I couldn't make your Christmas and have it out before now, but it's out! *puppy dog eyes* Please don't kill me! And check your inbox by the way! I finally replied!

KateKane: To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to sync so well with the real world. You now have an excuse not to study, and I'm happy I gave you a trip down memory lane! I do hope you got that paper done though XD

DukeBrymin: Thanks for the advice with McGonagall; I hadn't actually thought about that yet. As for Hermione inviting Jayden; I did contemplate that happening, but I wanted Jayden to stay at Hogwarts and find the Mirror. Oops, I've said too much :) you'll just have to read ahead. I can assure you that Hermione will definitely ask next time.

Alchemist PAC: Wow, that's a long review… First off, thank you sooooo much for the dating advice! We went to the movies and I took her to dinner, and I can now proudly say that we've been dating for a good three weeks now. I'm happy you liked the last chapter, and I hope you had as great a Christmas and New Years as I did *grins*

LordNerewar: I'm not sure actually. I think I'll stick to the book for the most part, but there will definitely be some things that Jayden does that doesn't follow the plot. You'll just have to keep reading to find out!

Avarenda: I hope that's a good 'aww' and not a bad 'aww' XD

I hope everyone had a good holiday! Think of this chapter as a late Christmas, New Years, and Valentine's Day present. This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. And now, after the extremely long wait, here is the eleventh chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

_Hermione shushed her. "Honestly Jayden, you worry too much. I'd love to spend time with you. What would you like to do?"_

_"Anything you like," Jayden replied._

_"Oh? And if I said I wanted to lay by the fireplace with you and cuddle, with a good book thrown in?" Hermione asked curiously._

_Jayden smiled. "Sure! Just let me grab my book then."_

* * *

Once the holidays started, Jayden became sullen and withdrawn. Without Hermione around to keep her company, she just didn't feel up to being energetic and hanging out with the Weasleys. Not that the redheaded boys hadn't tried. Fred and George had taken it upon themselves to cheer her up, including her in their pranks against the Slytherins and making her play Quidditch with them. Ron had also started to teach her how to play wizard chess. It was like regular chess, except the pieces were alive. She wasn't very good at it, but it helped to distract her from missing Hermione too much.

On the plus side, she had gotten all of the gifts that she had ordered from the owl catalogue delivered, and she had even found one that she was sure Hermione would like. She hoped, anyways. Lavender's, Parvati's, and Ron's were sitting under the Christmas tree in the Common Room, and Hedwig had just gotten back from delivering Hagrid's, Ginny's –Jayden still felt guilty for not writing, and had sent the redheaded girl some candy and a very long note apologizing- and Hermione's presents. Jayden had even gotten something for Professor McGonagall for all of the help the older witch had given her.

The day before Christmas Eve, Jayden found herself sitting in front of the fireplace in the Common Room reading. She had just flicked the page when suddenly her book was pulled out of her hands and two grinning faces came into view.

"So, Jayden –"

"Still missing your little damsel –"

"Witch –"

"Brilliant Gryffindor –"

"Know-it-all?"

"Uh huh," Jayden said glumly.

"She'll come back soon, Tiny," George, or Fred, said.

"Not tiny," Jayden dully said, giving him a half-hearted glare.

"Well Forge, it seems like we have our work cut out for us," one of them said.

"You're right, Gred. Looks like a serious case of heartbreakitis," the other one proclaimed after peering closely at Jayden's face.

Jayden blushed. "I-I'm not heartbroken!" she protested. "It's – we're not – I-I'm not –"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," a twin said, his eyes twinkling in amusement. Looking closer, Jayden saw that it was Fred; she knew it had to be Fred because George's eyes were a shade lighter then Fred's. It was the only way to tell them apart that she knew of, and she had noticed it one day when they were helping her stand up after she had been hit by a Bludger during practice.

"True that, brother. The tiny knight doth miss her damsel in distress," George said, grinning.

Jayden scowled at them both, her cheeks burning. "Go away you t-two, I'm trying to sulk," she growled moodily.

"Ah, but what kind of gentlemen would we be if we let such a pretty lady like yourself sit all alone and sulk?" George asked.

"Not very good ones, so we're here to drag you outside and have fun," Fred said gleefully.

Seeing them grin their evil little grins, Jayden knew she was in big trouble.

On Christmas Eve, Jayden went up to her room, bone-weary from spending the day researching Nicolas Flamel. She stared at Hermione's bed wistfully, wishing that her friend hadn't gone away for the holidays. Looking at the clean bed, Jayden came to a decision. She changed, brushed her teeth, and said goodnight her roommates before climbing into Hermione's bed. Surrounded by Hermione's presence, even if the girl wasn't actually with her, Jayden felt more comfortable, and she drifted off into a pleasant, nightmare-free sleep.

The next morning she woke up to the excited voiced of Lavender and Parvati.

"Merry Christmas, Jayden!" they exclaimed.

"Mmm… Merry Christmas guys." Jayden fumbled for her glasses and slipped them on, the world returning in sharp focus. Sunlight filtered in through the window, highlighting the small pile of presents at the foot of Jayden's bed. She scrambled out of bed, blinking to make sure she wasn't still dreaming.

"I-I've got presents!" she exclaimed wondrously.

"Well, duh," Lavender said from where she was digging into her own pile. "What were you expecting, coal?"

"N-no." Jayden was astonished, and extremely touched as well. Other than the birthday cake given to her by Hagrid when he had rescued her from the Dursleys, she had never received a present, and was understandably shocked at the notion of getting any. And she didn't get just one either; she must've had at least ten!

"Are you going to open them or just stare at them all day?" Parvati asked playfully.

Jayden blushed and picked up the top package. It was wrapped in thick brown paper, and on it was scrawled '_To Jayden, from Hagrid'_. Inside was a small wooden flute, and Jayden smiled and the thought. Hagrid had obviously put a lot of time and effort into making it. Maybe Jayden could get some lessons from somewhere…

The next present was from the Dursleys, surprisingly enough. It was a lump of coal, and Jayden snickered softly as she tossed it out.

"Was that from your parents?" Lavender asked, her eyes wide. "Because I was kidding when I said that you were going to get coal."

"Gag joke," Jayden lied. She picked up another present; it was very lumpy and squishy. When she opened it, she found a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green, and a box of cookies as well. The note attached said '_Merry Christmas, from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley_'. Jayden was surprised that a woman she had only spoken to once had bothered to send her something, but she was incredibly flattered as well.

Lavender, Parvati, and Ron had all given her treats, and Fred and George had given her a small supply of dungbombs, not that Jayden was planning on using them any time soon, but it was the thought that mattered.

There were only three packages left now. She picked up one; it was small and covered in silver wrapping with Christmas wreaths. '_To Jayden, with love, Hermione_', the card read. '_I thought you'd like it; Merry Christmas, my knight'_.

Her heart near bursting with happiness, Jayden carefully opened the package. Her eyes welled up with tears; inside was a small leather-bound and obviously expensive journal. She flipped to the first page, and was only slightly surprised to find an inscription.

_Jayden, this is for all the words you want to say but can't. This is a place for your dearest thoughts and feelings. It's been charmed so that only you can open it. I hope you like it._

_Hermione xox_

Tracing her name, which was engraved into the cover with gold ink, Jayden fought back tears. She could only hope that Hermione liked her gift even half as much as she loved hers. She set the journal down gently and picked up her next gift. To her shock and delight, it was also from Hermione.

Inside were a soft, fuzzy scarf and a toque. Both were forest green with dark blue stripes, and they felt very nice to the touch. There was a note pinned to the scarf as well.

_Jayden, I thought you could use these. I know you don't have a scarf or a toque, and it's cold outside. Make sure to wear them whenever you go outside!_

_Love, Hermione._

_P.S. – I made them myself! _

"Wow, she really likes you, doesn't she," Parvati commented after reading the note over Jayden's shoulder.

"Yeah," Jayden said dreamily. "She's great, isn't she."

Lavender and Parvati both gave her odd looks, but she ignored them, instead choosing to look at the two hand-knitted items in her hands.

"Well, we're done up here, so we're going to head downstairs for the feast," Lavender said finally. "You coming?"

"Later," Jayden said, nodding. The two girls left and Jayden turned to her final present. It was light and wrapped in gold paper. When she unwrapped it, something fluid and silvery grey slithered to the floor, making her squeak in shock. What the heck is it, she thought curiously, prodding it. It felt funny, like it was made of water, but not wet… if that made any sense at all.

"Weird," she said to herself. She picked it up and looked at it, rubbing the cloth lightly between her fingers. Jayden guessed that it was a cloak of some sort. Wrapping it around herself, she shivered slightly at the odd slippery feeling.

"I wonder i-if Hermione would like i-it," she mused to herself. Feeling slightly playful, Jayden covered her head with the cloak, amazed at the silky feel of the cloth. She had never felt anything like it before.

The door burst open suddenly, making her jump. Lavender and Parvati came into the room.

"Jayden?" Parvati looked around. Jayden was about to speak when Lavender unknowingly cut her off.

"I guess she must've left already," Lavender said. Shrugging, the two girls left, leaving Jayden feeling very confused.

"I was in plain s-sight," Jayden murmured. She turned around and nearly fainted. There! In the mirror! She wasn't there! "W-what's g-going on?!" she yelped, hastily tugging the cloak off and flinging it to the floor. Before her very eyes, her reflection appeared in the mirror.

"It's –it's an invisibility cloak!" she gasped in wonder. "This is… huh?" Something white caught her eye. It was a small note. Written on it in handwriting that she didn't recognize were the words:

_Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well._

_A very merry Christmas to you._

There was no signature.

Weird, Jayden thought. And suspicious. But it used to belong to her father? She was grateful that now she had at least one thing to connect her to her parents. Smiling to herself, Jayden picked up the cloak and folded it up, placing it into her trunk before heading down to the Christmas feast.

She met up with the rest of the Weasley clan as well as her roommates in the Great Hall. There was a huge feast laid out on the tables that almost rivaled the welcoming feast. Dozens of fat, roast turkeys, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, as well as boats of gravy and cranberry sauce. Jayden licked her lips; presents, friends, a whole feast, this was the greatest Christmas ever!

"So, how've your guys' Christmas been so far?" George asked as they all dug in.

"I-it's been great!" Jayden exclaimed. She frowned slightly. "I just wish H-Hermione could've been h-here…"

"Maybe next year," Fred said.

Jayden smiled and nodded. "Yeah." She turned to the only other girls at their table. "S-so, how come you t-two are here? I thought you w-were both going home for t-the holidays."

"My parents are both sick with the flu," Parvati said. "They didn't want me or my sister getting sick so they owled us and asked us to stay at Hogwarts."

"And my parents decided that now is the best time for a second honeymoon," Lavender said, her nose scrunched up in disgust. "What about you, Jayden?"

"U-uhh…" Jayden wracked her brain for something to say. "My a-aunt and uncle were g-going to visit a r-relative that I'm not p-particularly fond of." It was sort of true; the Dursleys were going to visit Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who absolutely detested Jayden and seemed to take great enjoyment in tormenting her as much as possible.

Lavender and Parvati seemed to accept this, and Jayden breathed out a small sigh of relief.

I wonder if Hermione likes her present, Jayden thought as she continued to eat. A goofy grin spread across her lips as she imagined Hermione's reaction, and the hug she knew she'd get when Hermione got back from holidays. Maybe even a kiss too if she was lucky enough…

A loud cough and a pat on the shoulder startled Jayden out of her innocent fantasy. Fred and George were staring at her with large, disturbing smiles on their faces. Jayden started to sweat under their creepy gazes.

"W-what?" she blurted. Why were they staring at her like that?!

"Nothing," Fred said innocently. Too innocently.

"You seem to enjoy thinking about your little damsel a lot, eh?" George said knowingly.

Jayden's cheeks flushed. How did they know? She didn't say anything out loud, did she?

"Oh, you had that silly smile on your face, the same one you always do –"

"When you're thinking about our resident Gryffindor Know-it-all."

Luckily no one was paying any attention to their conversation, as Jayden would have been mortified if anyone had heard.

"Whatever," she mumbled, turning back to her plate. She couldn't see it, but she could just feel the twins smirking at her.

After finishing her food, Jayden slipped away from the table. No one seemed to notice, as they were all wrapped up in their own conversations. She wandered outside, bundling herself up in her cloak and her new scarf and toque before heading out to her favorite part of the grounds, the tree beside the lake. She cleared a patch of snow off the ground and sat down, shivering as the cold ground touched her legs.

A loud hoot alerted her to Hedwig's presence. Jayden giggled softly as the Snowy Owl landed on her arm, and she ruffled its feathers affectionately.

"Hey H-Hedwig, did you find H-Hermione and everyone okay?" she asked, idly stroking the bird's feathers. Hedwig gave an irritated hoot, a mildly insulted look on her face.

Jayden smiled. "Stupid question, huh?" Hedwig hooted. "Sorry. D-do you know if she liked it?"

Hedwig cocked her head to the side, as if considering the question. Finally, she gave out an affirmative hoot.

"Yeah?" Jayden brightened up, a grin beginning to form on her face.

The owl shot her a look, as if to say 'well, duh!'

"Well, that's good. T-that's great!" Jayden said happily. She gave a tiny shiver, feeling the coldness seep into her bones, but stubbornly ignored it. She didn't mind the cold; she liked it too much out here in the outdoors to go in.

Hedwig made a clucking noise, giving Jayden's finger a harsh nip. Jayden swore her owl was giving her a death glare. "I know, I kn-know, I should go in, but I d-don't want to," she protested. "It's nice o-out here."

An angry hoot.

Nip to the ear.

"Oww!!" Jayden scowled, patting Hedwig's back gently while rubbing her ear. "Not nice. Geez, you were h-hanging out too much with H-Hermione. I s-swear, you're giving me the same glare!" She sighed wistfully; she even missed Hermione lecturing her…

Hoot.

A questioning look.

Jayden smiled sadly, still petting Hedwig's feathers. "I… y-you won't tell her?"

Another hoot. Negative.

"Okay," Jayden sighed. "I really like her. L-like her, like her," she whispered softly. "She's r-really pretty, and smart, and kind, and s-she has the most prettiest b-brown eyes… B-but we're both girls, and she doesn't like me l-like that."

Hedwig gave her owner a tiny nudge, letting out a soft chirp.

"Well, she –she just doesn't," Jayden stuttered. "I mean, even if she d-did like girls, why would she? I'm puny, and w-weak, and not very smart, and – oww! Hedwig!" She was cut off when Hedwig bit her finger painfully. Jayden sucked on her finger tenderly, glaring at her owl. "That hurt…"

Hedwig returned the glare, even going so far as to cuff her owner on the head gently with her wing.

"Quit it!" Jayden huffed, a small scowl on her lips. "I c-can't believe my owl is abusing me."

The Snowy Owl fluttered her wings, hooting as if to say 'well you deserve it'.

"Yes, well, maybe…" Jayden gave in. "But U-uncle… he said girls w-who like girls are bad and they're going to h-hell!" she exclaimed. "It's wrong!"

A look. So?

"So being gay is b-bad, right?" Jayden asked, lowering her head. "I-I'm already bad, Hermione s-should be bad too b-because of me…"

Hedwig gave an angry hoot, looking as irritated as an owl could possibly look.

"Y-you don't think it's bad?" Jayden asked weakly. The owl shook her head no. "And H-Hermione? What should I do? I-I'm only eleven, I don't know w-what to do! It's not like I've ever d-dated, or kissed, or anything!" Jayden said, mentally starting to panic.

Giving an amused chirp, Hedwig knocked heads with her owner gently before nipping Jayden's ear and taking off into the sky.

The girl blushed at the implication. "I can't believe I just g-got dating advice from an owl…" she muttered, shaking her head.

Jayden stayed outside by the tree for another two hours or so until darkness fell, heading in a few minutes before curfew started. Lavender and Parvati were already sleeping, tired out from the Christmas festivities.

She tried to fall asleep as well, even attempting to sleep on Hermione's bed, but she couldn't. Her mind kept running through all of her thoughts over and over again. What should she do about her crush? What about Flamel? And the Invisibility Cloak; who sent it to her? Jayden paused. The cloak… of course! She hit herself on the head. She could go anywhere she wanted! Anywhere! And the first place she could go was the Restricted Section of the library. If she could find out who Flamel was, Hermione would be so proud of her.

Mind set, Jayden silently got out of bed and took her cloak out of her trunk, wrapping it around herself. Looking down at her legs, she shivered as she saw only moonlight and shadows. Creepy.

Jayden made her way out of the Common Room, through corridors and down flights of stairs until she got to the library. Silently, she made her way into the Restricted Section. Grabbing a conveniently placed oil lamp, she lit it and grabbed one of the books off of the shelf. It… it felt wrong, creepy, and made Jayden want to throw it away, so instead of opening it, she put it back and picked up another one. It felt okay, so she opened it and proceeded to read. This was how it went for the next few hours; Jayden read and read until her eyes felt strained. She left alone any books that gave her a bad feeling, and no one bothered to come into the library so she was free to stay as long as she pleased. Around five in the morning she gave up and put all of the books back, feeling very disappointed with herself. She hadn't been able to find Flamel anywhere.

Jayden groaned and stretched before making her way out of the library, checking to make sure that her cloak was in place. She was just heading towards Gryffindor tower when she heard a voice.

"Peeves! Get back here, you troublemaker!"

It was Filch, and he was coming her way! Jayden gulped and slowly, quietly made her way down a nearby corridor. There was a door to her right, and it was slightly ajar. Hearing Filch coming closer, Jayden scampered through it and closed the door behind her with a soft click.

"Woah…"

Looking around, Jayden saw nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it was just an empty classroom. She guessed that no one had been in there in a while, seeing as everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. But what caught her attention was the large mirror propped over to the side. It was a pretty mirror; a gold frame and clawed feet with lots of neat engravings all around it. Speaking of which…

"E-erised stra ehru o-oyt… ube cafru oyt on wohsi," she read. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Huh? What was that supposed to mean? …Oh! Maybe it was a mirror image, like in those books she had read before where she had to hold the page up to a mirror to decode the clue.

"M-maybe.. I s-show not… your face but… y-your hearts desire," she deciphered after a few minutes. "N-neat, I guess…"

Curious to see for herself, Jayden stepped in front of the mirror. What she saw nearly made her faint in shock. There was her! And not just her, but two other people standing beside her! A man and a woman, it appeared… She… The woman, she had the same eyes as her… and the guy had the same dark, messy hair. They were…

"My parents…" Jayden whispered. She looked closely at the reflection. She was standing there, looking exactly the same except for one difference – she had no scar. It was like that night had never happened. That was her heart's desire, to never have been targeted by Voldemort.

Blinking back tears, Jayden took a good look at her parents. The woman was very pretty; she had dark red hair and bright green eyes like Jayden's. She had her arms around Jayden's waist and was smiling even as tears fell from her eyes. The man was tall and thin, with dark black hair and glasses. He had a hand on Jayden's shoulder, and the woman was leaning against him.

O-oh my god." Jayden blushed hard as one more person came into view. It was Hermione, in all of her bushy-haired, brown-eyed beauty. She watched in great fascination as Hermione walked up to her reflection-self, a smile upon her lips. Her mother let go of her reflection-self and watched happily along with her father as Hermione wrapped her arms around Jayden's reflection, leaned in and… planted a deep kiss on her lips.

"She loves me," Jayden whispered wondrously. "H-Hermione loves me, and my p-parents are okay with it!"

Tears slid down her cheeks as Jayden watched forlornly, her hand pressed flat against the glass. She wanted it so badly… she… darn it, it wasn't fair! She ached inside, and it hurt so much to know that it could never happen.

Jayden watched the reflection for a while longer before tearing herself away. It hurt to watch, and she needed to go before she was caught. Jayden kissed her fingertips and pressed them against the glass. "I-I'll come back," she promised before leaving the room.

The holidays passed in a similar fashion. Jayden would wake up, eat breakfast, hang out with either the Weasleys or Lavender and Parvati, and then at night she would sneak off to the mirror to look at her heart's desire. She could barely sleep or eat, it was all that she could think about. The search for Flamel had stopped in favor of the mirror. Jayden knew that she should stop visiting it – it hurt so bad whenever she did – but she couldn't find the will to.

It was on the day before term started that she was finally caught. Not that she hadn't been expecting it.

"So, back again, Jayden?"

Jayden started in fright as she whirled around, her heart racing. "P-Professor Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore nodded his head as he walked over to stand next to Jayden. He let out a soft sigh. "It seems that you've discovered the Mirror of Erised. Do you know what it does, Jayden?"

"Yes sir, " Jayden murmured, her eyes sliding back to the two couples in the mirror. "It shows y-your heart's desire."

Professor Dumbledore seemed to be taken aback. "How did you know?" he asked curiously.

Jayden shrugged and smiled. "I-it's not that hard to read b-backwards, Professor," she said.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily. "True enough, Jayden." He gave out another sad sigh as he looked at the mirror. "Many before you have tried and never figured it out, and they have wasted away in front of the mirror or were driven mad, not knowing if the things that they were shown were real or even possible."

"I kn-know it's dangerous," Jayden said softly. "And I know it's not r-real. After all, my parents are dead. I just… I-I've never seen them before, and, well…" She shrugged helplessly, unsure of how to continue.

"Is that all you see?" Dumbledore asked.

"N-no. But what do you see, P-Professor?" Jayden asked in return. "A loved one? Peace to the w-wizarding world? Socks?"

"One can never have enough socks," Dumbledore said seriously. "Alas, I fear that it's past your bedtime. The mirror will be moved tomorrow, so I ask that you don't go looking for it again."

Jayden nodded, a sigh escaping her. "I w-won't. It was nice to pretend t-though, if only for a few days." She peered at the Professor cautiously, searching for something. Then she saw it; the brief flicker of loneliness hiding behind the half-moon spectacles.

"Y-you miss them, huh Professor?" The p-person you see, in there." She pointed at the mirror. "The happiest person in t-the world doesn't know anything and h-has never truly lived, if they haven't e-experienced loneliness, or fear, or anger. Everyone has a d-desire, a longing, or something th-that they've lost."

She grinned inwardly as Dumbledore's eyes widened behind his glasses; she always loved it when adults looked at her strange whenever she mentioned anything that sounded beyond her years.

"You… are very wise for your age, Jayden," he said finally. "Yes, I do miss them, just as I'm sure you miss your parents. But now we must be heading off." He smiled kindly at her. "It wouldn't do well to fall asleep in one of your classes, and I know your friends will be coming back tomorrow."

Jayden nodded and kissed her fingertips, pressing them to the glass in a final goodbye to her parents and Hermione's love. Then she put on her cloak and with a whispered, "goodnight, Professor," was out the door.

* * *

A.N.: I hope this chapter turned out well; I haven't written anything in so long that I fear I'm a little rusty. It's a few hundred words less then usual, so I apologize for that. Anyhow, the next update will hopefully be out next month, so keep your fingers crossed! I want to see some reviews people; you know how much I love reading them!


	13. A Note

Hey guys,

This is Kaze's girlfriend speaking. Kaze's been sick with the fever and wound up falling down a flight of stairs as well. She's okay, but I'm forcing her to take it easy so the next chapter won't be up until she's feeling 100% better. She wants to let everyone know she's sorry for the delay (again!).

Thanks everyone!


	14. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Jayden Potter, my OC. J.K. Rowling owns everything else.

Warning: Femslash! If you don't like it, don't read the story!

A.N.: Sorry everyone. I don't really have an excuse for being on hiatus for nearly a year, except that life has been extremely hard for the past year. I won't get into details since I don't want to spill my life's troubles to you guys, but thanks for sticking with me and this story. It will get finished eventually, but only time can tell when. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and special thanks to Dalek17 and MusicboxHERO for reminding me that I made a promise to everyone to finish this story and for kicking my ass in gear. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed when I was down for the count thanks to that spill down the stairs.

This story is unbetaed, so any grammar or spelling mistake is mine. And now, after the extremely long wait, here is the twelfth chapter of The Girl Who Lived: Book One.

* * *

"_Y-you miss them, huh Professor?" The p-person you see, in there." She pointed at the mirror. "The happiest person in t-the world doesn't know anything and h-has never truly lived, if they haven't e-experienced loneliness, or fear, or anger. Everyone has a d-desire, a longing, or something th-that they've lost."_

_She grinned inwardly as Dumbledore's eyes widened behind his glasses; she always loved it when adults looked at her strange whenever she mentioned anything that sounded beyond her years._

_"You… are very wise for your age, Jayden," he said finally. "Yes, I do miss them, just as I'm sure you miss your parents. But now we must be heading off." He smiled kindly at her. "It wouldn't do well to fall asleep in one of your classes, and I know your friends will be coming back tomorrow."_

_Jayden nodded and kissed her fingertips, pressing them to the glass in a final goodbye to her parents and Hermione's love. Then she put on her cloak and with a whispered, "goodnight, Professor," was out the door._

_

* * *

_

"Jayden! Jayden!"

Jayden looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. Hermione was back from her holiday trip!

"H-hey Hermione, how was your – ack!" Jayden yelped in shock as Hermione tackled her in a fierce hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"You are the kindest, most wonderful, generous person ever!" Hermione exclaimed happily.

Jayden gave her a goofy smile. "I t-take it you liked it?"

"Liked it? I love it! It must've cost you a fortune Jayden; I can't believe you got it for me!"

The item in question was a book that Jayden had gotten Hermione for Christmas. Not just any book, but a limited, first edition, copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. It had taken Jayden a while to find a copy of it, but she had asked around and eventually wound up asking Professor McGonagall for advice, and she had helped Jayden order it from an antique store that she had known about. Jayden had also bought the professor a box of Ginger Newts for Christmas as thanks, something she knew Professor McGonagall would like; the Headmistress always seemed to have a plate of them out.

Jayden smiled at her, hesitantly wrapping her arms around Hermione's neck. "S-so, you really like it?" she asked one more time.

"Love it," Hermione assured her. "I absolutely love his work! Did you like your presents?"

"They're amazing," Jayden said softly. "I've already written in t-the journal, and I wear the t-toque and scarf whenever I g-go out. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, my little knight," Hermione said. She frowned as she ran her fingers over Jayden's cheekbones. "You haven't been eating," she accused the smaller girl. "You're thinner than before, and you haven't been sleeping either. I can see the bruises under your eyes."

"I've been busy with F-Flamel and –"

"Flamel's not that important, Jayden!" Hermione said harshly. "He's not worth getting sick or –"

"I saw my parents," Jayden blurted out. Hermione's lecture died down, and she stared at Jayden in shock.

"How? They're dead, Jayden," Hermione said, confused.

"In a mirror," Jayden explained. "A-at Christmas, I got a gift, an Invisibility Cl-Cloak, I don't know wh-who sent it. I've been using it to go to the Restricted Section," she admitted.

Hermione looked torn between applauding her and scolding her. "But that doesn't explain the mirror."

"I f-found it one day when I was h-hiding from Filch. The mirror was in an unused c-classroom. It…" she took a deep breath. "It shows you your d-deepest desire. Your heart's desire. Mine was to h-have never been targeted by Voldemort."

"Oh Jayden…" Hermione murmured.

"I've been seeing it everyday. Or, I was u-until Professor Dumbledore caught me and told me t-the mirror was dangerous. It got m-moved today, so it's not there anymore…"

Hermione gave her a soft, sad smile and ran her hand through Jayden's hair. "I'm sorry I wasn't there with you, Jay."

"It's okay…" Jayden sighed in pleasure, sitting down on the edge of her bed and closing her eyes, resting her head in the crook of Hermione's neck. "That feels nice… I've missed you."

The bigger girl smiled widely, cradling Jayden's head to her neck. "I've missed you too, Jay. It's only been two weeks, but still. It wasn't nearly as much fun as being with you."

"Yeah?" Jayden asked curiously.

"Yeah." Hermione nodded. "Skiing with my parents was fun and all, but it doesn't compete with hanging out with you. Maybe next year you can come with me?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe…" If the Dursleys would let her, anyways.

Sensing Jayden beginning to retreat into herself, Hermione changed the subject. "So… what have you been up to while I was gone? Besides the mirror and looking for Flamel."

"I've m-mostly been reading or h-hanging out with Ron, Fred, George, or L-Lavender and Parvati," Jayden said. She noticed Hermione tense up beneath her. "C-come on Hermione, I don't like him like that."

"I know, but still…" Hermione frowned.

Jayden giggled softly and pulled Hermione up so she was sitting, then carefully sat in between her legs. "Aww, what k-kind of knight would I be if I chose him over m-my damsel?" she said playfully. She leaned back into Hermione's arms and sighed contentedly, happy to be held by her friend.

"I'm not sure," Hermione laughed, running her hands over Jayden's arms. "So, school starts again tomorrow, what do you want to do?"

"Uhh – " Jayden's stomach growled, making her blush. "E-eat?" she squeaked.

"Sounds good to me," Hermione agreed. She patted Jayden's leg. "Let's go then."

"Mhmm."

"That means you need to get up," Hermione reminded her.

Jayden blushed again. "Oh. Right."

The next few days were spent getting back into the groove with school, homework, searching for Flamel, and Quidditch. The team had been practicing more than usual because of something that Wood had found out.

"Snape will be refereeing the next match against Hufflepuff in February," he said one practice.

"Wh-what?" Jayden gasped. "Why?"

"He requested it," Wood said shortly. "We all know he'll be trying to knock off any points we get, so we need to be extra careful next match."

After the grueling practice followed by a quick shower, Jayden headed for her spot by the lake, sitting down and pulling out a book from her bag to read. Today's novel was _The Hobbit_, one of her favorite novels. She had rescued it from a rather nasty ending when Dudley had tossed it out of his window; it had been given to him one year by Aunt Petunia in the hopes that he would actually read something that didn't have pictures. Jayden snickered to herself. That was about as likely as him willingly turning down a free chocolate cake. Settling herself down, she began to read, hoping to take her mind off of the whole Snape situation.

"Hey you," a voice said a little while later, startling her. "What are you up to?"

"Just reading, Hermione," she said quietly. Hermione sat down next to her.

"Okay, now I know that something's wrong. You were supposed to come to the Common Room, remember?"

"O-oops," Jayden mumbled. She signed and closed her book after marking what page she was on.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked.

"I guess…" Jayden rubbed her temples, aware of the headache she was getting. "Snape… will be ref-refereeing our next match against Hufflepuff," she said finally.

"What?"

"I know."

"But he tried to kill you!" Hermione exclaimed.

Jayden nodded. "I know."

"Don't play then," Hermione said. "Who knows what he'll try this time."

"I can't just not play, Hermione," Jayden said softly. "G-Gryffindor needs me."

"But –"

"I have to play; I'm n-not going to quit j-just because of Snape."

"But you nearly died last time!" Hermione cried out tearfully, her true fears beginning to dawn on Jayden. "Quidditch is dangerous, Jay! You could get hurt, or killed, or –" she was cut off when Jayden's lips touched her cheek. Jayden pulled away, her face flushed, but with a smile on her face.

"Hermione, you're w-worrying too much. I promise, I'll be fine," Jayden murmured. "All the professors will b-be there, and besides," she gave Hermione a tiny smirk, "you're my good luck charm."

"I – yeah?" Hermione tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and gave Jayden a shy look, the tiniest of blushes on her cheeks.

"Yeah," Jayden whispered. Her thin arms wrapped themselves around Hermione's neck. She smiled mischievously, feeling quite playful as she took in her friend's wide-eyed look.

"J-Jayden…"

"Mmm?" Jayden twirled a piece of Hermione's soft hair around her finger, giggling to herself.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Jayden smiled at this and unwound her arms from Hermione's neck, nearly giggling at the look on the taller girl's face. However, she managed to hold it in as she picked up her book and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before walking off, a big smirk on her lips. She just made Hermione Granger speechless!

"Jayden, get back here you brat!"

Jayden laughed and sprinted off towards the castle with Hermione hot on her tail. Unfortunately, even with the head start she had, Hermione's legs were longer then hers, so she was gaining ground quickly. Jayden rounded a corner, hoping to get away, only to be met with a dead end.

"Uh oh," she groaned.

"Uh oh is right!"

Jayden gulped; Hermione was standing behind her, a triumphant smirk on her lips. "U-umm, Hermione, hi," she stuttered, holding her hands up. "M-maybe we can talk about this? L-let's not get hasty now."

"Talk is cheap, Jayden Potter! I will have my revenge!" Hermione declared. She moved forward, making Jayden take a step back. She stepped forward again, and Jayden moved backwards. They kept doing this until Jayden's back hit the wall. Hermione planted her arms on either side of Jayden's body, trapping her there.

"Caught you," she said, grinning widely.

Jayden blushed slightly, admiring Hermione's smile. "L-looks like it," she agreed. "What are you g-going to do about it?"

"Well…" Hermione's grin turned positively evil. "I could tickle you until you beg me to stop." She giggled as Jayden frantically shook her head in response. "Or we could go back to the dorm and read until it's time for bed," she murmured softly.

Jayden shivered. Her stomach was doing flip flops and she felt about ready to faint from the closeness between them. Her knees were weak and her brain seemed to be on standby, all because of Hermione.

"Well, which one?" Hermione asked.

"T-the second one," Jayden croaked out. Her eyes landed on Hermione's lips; they looked so nice and soft and – oh wait, Hermione was talking to her.

"-going? Jayden?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, let's go." Smiling, Jayden grabbed Hermione's hand and headed to the Common Room.

The week seemed to fly by for Jayden, who had tried not to think about the upcoming match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. However, despite her best attempts to ignore it, the day had finally come. Currently she was standing in front of the castle doors with Hermione and Ron, trying not to hyperventilate.

"Jayden, come on, you'll do fine."

"Meep."

"You told me you had to do this."

A wide-eyed look.

"You can't let that greasy-haired git scare you into quitting, can you?"

Nod.

Jayden stood there, feeling absolutely petrified. It wasn't that the Hufflepuff team was particularly scary, it was the fact that Snape of all people was refereeing! He'd get her killed, and foul her as she lay there dying! Ron and Hermione were doing their best to cheer her up, but they weren't having much luck.

"Come on, it's nearly time to go!" Ron shouted in exasperation.

Hermione gave Jayden a tiny smile, innocently running her hand up Jayden's arm. "Come on my little knight, if you play you'll get a reward," she whispered softly into Jayden's ear so that Ron couldn't hear her.

Jayden gulped, her heart pounding. "Y-yeah? Like what?"

"Cuddle time?" Hermione offered.

"I get that anyways," Jayden mumbled.

"A book, cuddle time, and you can sleep in my bed tonight?" Hermione tried. Jayden blushed; how was it that such an innocent offer made her mind spin? "Ill also give you some chocolate," the bushy haired girl threw in.

"You had me at the sleeping part, b-but I'll gladly take the ch-chocolate too," Jayden said. She shivered as Hermione gave her a tiny smirk.

"Oi, you two, are you done talking yet? Is Jayden going to play?" Ron asked loudly, forcing the two girls to look away from each other.

"Y-yeah, I'm playing," Jayden grumbled, a frown on her face. "The damsel in d-distress doesn't play fair."

"Oh hush, you know you like it," Hermione said cheerfully. "Now, let's get down to the Quidditch pitch so you can get changed and start playing."

The trio made their way to the pitch before they split up. Hermione gave Jayden a quick hug for good luck before heading up to the stands with Ron. Sighing, Jayden entered the changing room.

After changing and getting another… rousing pep talk from Wood, Jayden grabbed her Nimbus and headed onto the pitch. She grinned and waved up at Hermione, who was watching her closely.

"Are both teams ready?" Snape asked drolly.

Wood and the Hufflepuff captain nodded, and when the whistle was blown, Jayden kicked off into the air. She had to find the Snitch before Snape gave out too many penalties.

As the game progressed, Hermione kept her fingers crossed. Jayden had nearly gotten hit by a Bludger three times, and seemed to be doing loop-de-loops and barrel rolls for the sole purpose of giving her a heart attack.

"Jayden, be careful!" she yelled out, wincing as a Bludger whizzed by Jayden's head.

Jayden waved at her and nodded just enough for her to see. The bespectacled girl cringed as Snape called out a penalty against Gryffindor. "Darn it, where's the Snitch?" she growled to herself, looking around. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blond in the stands. What was Malfoy doing in Gryffindor territory? She needed to end this quick, before he tried anything stupid.

"Jayden!" Hermione gasped as Jayden swerved in midair to avoid being hit.

"Don't bother Granger, she can't hear you," Malfoy sneered. "If we're lucky she'll fall off her broom or something."

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron snapped angrily.

"Don't listen to him, Hermione," Neville whispered quietly.

Malfoy rounded on him. "Are you trying to ignore me, Longbottom? Figures, you've finally discovered your place, which is beneath me."

Neville and Ron glared at him, but Hermione wasn't listening to them. Instead, she was watching Jayden, terrified. Jayden had just gone into a steep dive that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Hermione stood up, worrying her lip as Jayden streaked towards the ground, her form blurry from the speed she was going.

"Maybe she spotted some change for you, Weasley, or maybe a new brain for Longbottom," Malfoy said, smirking.

"Come on, careful Jayden… careful…" Hermione murmured, gripping the railing tight. "That's it, you got it… yes!" she screamed along with everyone else as Jayden pulled out of the dive. The tiny Seeker pumped her fist in the air triumphantly, the Snitch clutched in it. "Ron! Neville! She's got it! She caught the Snitch, we won!" Hermione yelled. She ran down the stairs and onto the pitch, throwing herself into Jayden's arms as soon as Jayden touched down, hugging her fiercely. "You did it!"

Jayden just laughed as she was swarmed by her team and lifted up by Fred and George. "Let me go you guys!" she laughed.

"That was stupendous, Potter! You caught it in less then ten minutes!" Wood exclaimed, clapping her on the back. Jayden laughed harder. "Put me down you two!" she exclaimed, enjoying the attention but wanting to be back on solid ground.

"Gred?"

"Forge?"

The twins grinned at each other, making Jayden gulp as she caught sight of their evil smirks. "Guys? What're you –" her eyes widened as a cooler was brought in front of them. "G-guys? Really, this isn't necess- ah! No, really! Put me down! Hermione, h-help!" She struggled in their grip, but only succeeded in being plunked down on the bench. Jayden squeaked and covered her head as the giant cooler of freezing, ice cold water was poured on her. "Aaaahhh! T-that's c-c-cold!" she howled.

The team and her friends were practically rolling around on the ground with laughter, clutching their sides. Jayden scowled even more, shivering as the cold seeped into her and made her clothes stick to her tiny form.

"Y-y-you all s-suck," she muttered, wiping her soaking bangs out of her eyes.

"You look like a drowned rat!" Ron gasped out, his face red from laughing so much. He flinched back as Jayden gave him a death glare.

Jayden turned her glare on the rest of her so-called 'friends'. "I h-hate you all," she huffed, only slightly angry with them. Still, she was cold darn it!

After a few more laughs at the drenched Seeker's expense, Hermione finally decided to take pity on her. "I'm going to take Jayden back to the castle now. She needs to get out of those wet clothes before she gets sick." Hermione waved goodbye and took the sulking girl's hand, leading her back to their room.

"You must be freezing," she said softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Jayden's face. "Get out of those clothes and go take a warm shower, right now," she ordered.

"Yes, mo-mother," Jayden said, a tiny frown on her face. She wasn't mad anymore, just irritated. However, Hermione must've thought she was angry, as the brown-eyed girl was chewing her bottom lip and looking at her worriedly.

"Jayden, I didn't –"

"I'm g-going to go t-take a sh-shower now." Jayden turned around and walked out of the room to the bathroom. A large grin was on her face; she wasn't mad, oh no, not at all, but she was definitely going to make Hermione suffer for going along with everyone else. That's what you get for helping dunk me, Jayden thought gleefully. No one messes with Jayden Potter!

One long, warm, relaxing shower later and Jayden was feeling much better. She stretched and jumped onto her bed, groaning softly as she sprawled out on it.

"H-hey Jayden…"

"Huh? Oh, hi Hermione," Jayden said cheerfully. She rolled over onto her back and peered up at her friend, who was standing in front of her. "Why're you still –"

"Are you mad at me?" Hermione asked quickly, cutting her off. "For not stopping them and for laughing at you?"

Jayden smiled and shook her head no. "Of course not silly. Come here." She patted the spot next to her and Hermione sat down timidly. "G-Geez, you're really worried, aren't you," she murmured. Maybe she had taken things a bit too far…

"Well yeah. You looked so… angry," Hermione said quietly. "I'm sorry, really, I – "

"Don't be," Jayden said smiling at the bushy-haired girl. She took Hermione's hand in hers gently, playing with her friend's fingers. "We'll call it even if you give me ch-chocolate. And cuddles," she added.

"Done and done!" Hermione exclaimed, eager to make it up to her friend. She gave the smaller girl a kiss on the cheek and jumped off the bed, returning after grabbing a Chocolate Frog from her trunk. "Here you go! It's left over from Christmas, but it should still be good."

"Thanks Hermione." Jayden grinned and opened the box, taking out the Frog and biting into it before it could leap away. "Yum…" she moaned, licking her lips clean. A small squeak got her attention and made her glance at Hermione, whose face was beet red. She looked at Hermione quizzically and broke off a leg, holding it out. "Want some?"

"Sure, thanks." She and Hermione sat on her bed and shared the candy between them, having fun feeding each other. It was when Hermione accidentally knocked over the wrapper that it happened. The Wizards' Card fell to the floor, and Jayden gasped in shock as she scanned the bio on the back.

"It's him! It's Flamel!" she yelped, scrambling up.

"What?"

"It's N-Nicolas Flamel! I knew it! I kn-knew I saw him before!" Jayden held the card up, showing Professor Dumbledore's smiling face. "See? Listen, 'Professor Dumbledore is p-particularly famous for the discovery of the t-twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on al-alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel!'"

"Merlin's beard!" Hermione got up and practically dove head first into her trunk. She heaved out an enormous old book and plopped down on Jayden's lap, ignoring the 'oof' she got, and quickly flipped through the pages. "I had checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading, but I can't believe I never looked in here!"

"Hermione, calm down, geez!" Jayden said, chuckling. She wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist, peering over her shoulder. "So wh-what does it say?"

"Nicolas Flamel," Hermione said, her eyes wide, "is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"

* * *

A.N.: So there you have it, the chapter that you've all been waiting for! It's been a long time coming, I know, but as said in the other Author's Note, I've been having a hard time with stuff. Anyhow, please review guys, reviews make me happy. I hope you liked the chapter, I feel a bit rusty. Until next time!


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